


Supernova

by Sarenhale



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Character Development, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, You got the idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2019-11-08 15:58:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17984192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarenhale/pseuds/Sarenhale
Summary: Elijah Christensen has just moved from Zuzu City to the little, country village of Pelican Town.He has absolutely no idea what he's doing, little to no money in his bank, and not a lot of plans for his future. What will Pelican Town have in store for him?





	1. The Lighter

**Author's Note:**

> Well..... this is my very first work written in english, so I hope that the grammar and spelling are not terrible! It's also been A WHILE since I wrote anything or posted it, so I'm kind of nervous. I just really, really wanted to tell this story and get deep in Elijah's story. :> Gosh I love Stardew Valley so much.  
> This will for sure not be regular updated, It's just a self-indulgence hobby I like to get into sometimes, and since classes are killing me I really feel like taking my mind off somehow... and what better idea than to start writing down this story?  
> I just hope you'll like it ! :>
> 
> (art is by me! You can find my blog at http://sarenhale.tumblr.com/ ! )

 

                                         

 

Elijah Christensen took a deep breath. 

He raised his gaze to the sky, and quickly wiped his brow with the back of his hand.   

Yoba, he was out of shape.   

Resting his hands on his hips, he cracked his back, that produced a couple of satisfying noises.  

In front of him stood a beautiful view of the familiar green hills that surrounded the local carpenter, Robin’s, house. A couple of birds flew into the nearest tree, chirping, the branches slightly bouncing under their weights.   

Spring was almost over, the days were getting longer and the air less chilly.   

With his hands still on his hips, Elijah looked at his surroundings with a smile peeking on his lips. He was still panting slightly, but the scenery was pretty amazing.  

He suddenly felt like an old man, as he tried to remember when was the last time he felt that exausted by a simple, mere walk.   

He was never the sporty type, not even back at his times in the city.  

All of the sport activities he was part of were forced in by his father, he never liked physical activities that much, aside from the occasional swim and day at the beach.  

But basking in the sun with a beer in his hand and a cigarette in the other didn’t really count as a physical activity, right? 

But moving to Pelican Town changed that. He was now forced to walk, move, and do more physical activity than he was used to, which was not necessarily a bad thing.  

Maybe that was an opportunity to finally get in shape and start having an healthier life style?  

Running a farm was time and energy consuming, and Elijah came to face that truth pretty quickly. He had never felt as weak and pathetic as in the last two weeks, when he had to start working his butt off from scratch, and without knowing jack shit about farming. 

As his breath returned to normal, he looked around to find a spot to sit underneath the tree’s shade. His eyes caught a tree stump perfectly located underneath the shade, and when he sat his butt on the stump, his hand went instinctively searching through his jeans’s pocket.   

His fingers quickly grabbed the pack’s cardboard sides and pulled out a cigarette, guiding it onto his lips.  

That day had been pretty exausting: he managed to wake up at nine in the morning, which was still a pretty good achievement for a night owl like him, and had spent the rest of the morning cleaning up the yard surrounding the cabin. He didn’t even remember the last time he felt so exausted, but he had to admit that, when he looked back at the fruits of his hard work, he had felt proud of what he achieved.   

When even  was the last time he had done something that useful in his life? He truly didn’t remember.  

He turned his attention and his gaze to his jean’s pocket: his hand had been searching into the fabric hole for some seconds, and he still hadn’t felt the cold surface of his lighter brushing his fingers.   

Annoyed, he pulled out the fabric of his pocket, completely emptying it. A couple of nickles rolled on the grass, along with a used handkerchief.  

-Oh, come on- he muttered, feeling the frustration dwell inside him. He couldn’t have forgotten his fucking lighter. He tried searching in his other pocket, but nothing. 

He patted the front of his shirt in desperation, looking for any sign, but he knew he always carried his lighter in his jeans’s pockets. He bounced the cigarette in his lips with a sigh of frustration, quickly scanning his surroundings.  

In front of him, the quiet waters of the lake rippled at the setting sun, producing a calming background sound. Not far away from him, he could see the opposite shore, and the adventurer’s guild’s wooden cabin, just next to the entrance of the mines.   

Turning back and heading to the house meant at least another twenty-five minutes of walk, and having to wait for that amount of time to smoke his well-deserved cigarette was really unacceptable.  

The truth was just that he wanted that damn nicotine, and he wanted it now. It didn’t help that he felt so tired from the walk and all the work. 

He stared at his black skinny jeans, and poked the big hole on his knee with his finger with frustration.   

For a second, as desperate as he was starting to feel, he even thought about turning into a fucking caveman and looking for two stones to beat against eachother, in the flebile hope to produce a spark to light his damned cigarette.   

-That’s just pathetic, Elijah- he said to himself.   

But maybe... Elijah’s gaze wandered around his surroundings, feeling an idea creeping into him.   

He could see Robin’s house in a walking distance from him, the blue roof peeking through the tree’s green foliage and thick branches.  

Could he ask Robin for a lighter? Elijah furrowed his brow, moving the cigarette behind his ear, absently moving a couple of blonde locks away from his cheeckbones. He was pretty sure that the lumberjack didn’t smoke, but maybe he could just ask her to use her stove’s fire to light his cig?   

...Was that weird? He truly didn’t know her that well, but the red-headed lumberjack seemed to like him enough not to look at him like he was a complete weirdo, like –as he was pretty sure- some other villagers of Pelican Town were doing.  

He made a visual list of other citizens that he might ask for a lighter, and he quickly realized there wasn’t really a good candidate anywhere around the small country village. Did anyone in Pelican Town even smoke? He was pretty sure he was the only one.  

Probably, because he still was the ‘city boy’ that hadn’t left his old habits behind.   

But fuck, after all of the work he pulled off that morning, he was pretty sure he had earned his cigarette.   

As he stood up, he looked at the familiar yellow plastic tent planted on the hill right next Robin’s house. Linus, the man living in nature. 

Would he have a lighter to lend him? Elijah chuckled to himself for the absurdity of that thought.   

Adjusting his black shades on his nose, he walked in the direction of Robin’s house.  

He took a quick gaze at his wrist watch: It was almost six o' clock.   

-Shit- he muttered to himself again, fastening his pace. Robin’s shop closed usually around five in the afternoon, so he was already late.  

He didn’t really want to bother her outside of working hours, especially for such a stupid, petty request... but yet, he reached for the door handle, and opened the wooden door with a firm swing.   

When he entered the homestead, he felt a rush of relief when he saw the red-headed woman behind the wooden counter right in front of the door, apparently busy checking some paperwork.  

She seemed to notice him right away, smiling at him and meeting his eyes with her own.  

She always has a welcoming smile for him, something that made him always feel a little bit more comfortable when talking to her.  

-Oh, Elijah! Welcome, welcome!- she welcomed him. 

-Hey, Robin- Elijah smiled back, closing the door behind him. He sensed a pleasant smell of cinnamon in the air, coming from the hallway: perhaps someone was cooking. -I’m sorry to bother you. I’m sure you were closing up shop.-  

-Oh, don’t worry about that!  What can I do for you?-  

When the reason he headed to the carpenter's place hit him again, he felt incredibly dumb all of a sudden.  

He opened his mouth and closed it right away, uncertain on what to say, as his fingers went brushing his hair, something he subconsciously did when he was feeling nervous or embarassed. Suddenly, his quest for a lighter felt really stupid and out of place. 

-I... well, I was wondering...- he sputtered, his eyes fixated on the wooden counter. Robin blinked. 

Shit. It was such a dumb idea.  

_“Of course she doesn’t have a lighter, and of course she doesn’t want you to creep into her kitchen only to light up your crappy cigarette”_

-My... my bed has been creaking a lot- he blurted out, and forced a nervous smile. -I think a couple of boards could be broken. I wanted to try to fix them, but uh, last time i tried to hammer something I almost smashed my finger, so, uh. I thought that maybe it was best to first ask you?-   

That wasn’t so bad. He smiled again, mostly to reassure himself he wasn’t being a complete idiot. 

Luckily, Robin didn't seem too weirded out by his request.  

-That doesn’t surprise me, your grandpa’s furniture is probably as old as this town! Yoba knows how old those boards might be- She nodded. -I’m sure I can solve your problem pretty quickly. Might take a look at your porch too, while I’m at it. Are you free tomorrow morning?-   

-Sounds good to me.-  

-Tomorrow it is, then" I’m just sorry I have to make you spend a night on those crappy boards.-  

-Oh, I’ll live.- Elijah shrugged and smiled at her. -Thank you, Robin.-  

-You’re welcome, dear. I’ll see you in the morning!-  

Elijah waved and headed out, closing the carved wooden door behind himself. 

Only when he was outside the shop, he dared to take a deep sigh. If it was out of relief or frustration at his attempt, he didn't know.  

The cigarette was still tugged behind his ear, pressed between his temple and his shades’ shaft.   

He figured the whole bed boards situation was probably better than the alternative of just walking into her shop after closing time, and bother her just to light his cigarette.  

Okay, Robin was nice to him, but she didn't know him so well. Elijah didn't feel like overstepping any boundaries, especially when he was new in Town, he knew it was important to give a good impression.  

Also, it was all true: his bed was truly shit, and it was getting difficult to catch some sleep at night when he felt like his back was constantly being punched and poked by a dozen of wooden slates every night. 

He loved Grandpa, and he loved his house, but some parts of it were in a serious need of a restoration.  

Ankwardly scratching his head, he started to head towards the farm.   

He turned his back to Robin’s house and he absently gazed at the house’s wooden fence: there was a little yard right on the side of the shop’s entrance that looked quite neglected, if it weren’t for the shiny metal telescope placed there. 

Elijah had never seen anyone of the family using it, and he was pretty sure the object was just being stored there.  

But just when he thought that the yard looked pretty abandoned, he saw something: a slender figure dressed in black, leaning against the fence, partially hidden by the telescope and some tall grass.  

Elijah subconsciously slowed his pace, and stared at it, intrigued.  

With one hand in his pockets and one right next to his lips, a little trail of grey smoke parting from his  lips, the figure was indeed smoking a cigarette.  

Elijah felt like he was struck by lighting, and he felt himself smile. What were the odds?   

He leaned over the fence, his elbows brushing the irregular wooden poles, he watched the figure turning slightly towards him.   

The guy was completely dressed in black, the sleeves of his hoodie rolled up near his elbows. He moved his gaze towards Elijah, the dark locks of his hair brushing lightly over his pale face.  

With the cigarette lit and smoking between his index and middle finger, the guy raised a brow at him. 

-Hey- Elijah said, flashing a smile. -Got a lighter?-  

The guy glanced at him, quickly scanning him from head to toe. Only after some seconds of silence he nodded, and reached into his hoodie. With a swift movement, he tossed the lighter towards Elijah’s general direction.   

His hand caught the lighter with no effort, the object felt pleasantly cold between his fingers.   

-Ah, finally- he whispered to himself. He reached for the cigarette behind his ear and lit the extremity. The first drag felt so good that Elijah couldn’t help but smile. 

Taking another drag right after the first one, he noticed that the guy in black was looking at him now. He hadn’t moved from his spot, but he could see that he was looking at him with a certain curiosity.   

Elijah was most certain he had never seen this guy in Pelican Town before. Jet black hair combed in a casual and somehow natural wave, black hoodie and, he noticed as he smoked in silence, black, piercing eyes looking at him with an indecifrable expression.   

He was pretty sure he would remember such a peculiar look. He didn’t look like the others, he thought as he took the cigarette to his lips again. Everyone in Pelican Town looked pretty... _country_ , to say the least, but this guy dedfinitely didn’t fit the redneck image he had traced of the average Pelican Town villager.   

He was almost startled when he heard the guy’s voice adressing him. 

-Lost your lighter?- The guy's voice was calm, and he could sarcasm in it.  

-M’fraid so.- Elijah shrugged. -Probably dropped it.-  

He took another breath from the cigarette, the last one. His cigarette was almost out. -So hey, thanks for saving my day.-  

The guy in black shrugged, bringing the cigarette to his mouth again in a calm gesture. He was still looking at him, in a somehow inquisitive way. 

Elijah extinguished the cigarette on his shoe’s sole, and then stopped for a second.  

If this were the city, he would throw the cigarette’s butt somewhere on the floor. But this wasn’t his apartment’s terrace in Zuzu City, so he decided  to put it into his pocket. He would throw that away in his trashcan at the farm, he distantly thought.   

-So...-   

He raised his head when he heard the guy in black’s voice, not expecting him to interact with him again.  

-You’re the new farmer everyone's been talking about, right?-   

-Ah, that would be me, yes.- Elijah replied, with a crooked smile. -I’m Elijah, by the way.-   

And as he said that, he raised a hand in direction of the guy.   

The guy in black stared at his extended hand, and showed no interest shaking it, or even move from his spot. Instead, he gave a small nod as Elijah ankwardly lowered his hand. 

-I’m Sebastian. Whole town has been talking about you.- He took a puff from the cigarette. The sun was beginning to set, and the orange light of the cigarette silhoutted his profile, rimlight getting caught in his black locks.   

-Yeah. I guess I’m the new trending topic in town- Elijah knew that his new arrival a couple of weeks before had shook the waters in the tiny village.  

Lewis, the mayor, welcomed him with a warm but also expectant attitude. He had the feeling that the old mayor was looking forward to see his progress in the farm, and that worried him.  

Elijah, to be honest, had no idea of what he was doing, and certainly didn’t want anyone in the town to look up to him in any way. Especially because he knew how well-known Grandpa was in the countryside village, and everyone seemed to keep reminding him how good and succesful he had been in his life, and how everyone was so excited to see where Jonathan Christiansen’s nephew would go.   

Elijah silently grimaced at the thought.   

-So, out of every place, you chose to move to Pelican Town- Sebastian said, with an indecifrable look on his face. Elijah couldn’t help but to feel the bitterness in his tone.   

-Well... it’s kind of a long story.- Elijah answered, feeling cornered by Sebastian's tone and gaze. He brushed a couple of blonde locks away from his forehead. -One that would probably bore you to death, so I’ll save it.-  

He took a quick glance at his watch. It was six thirthy.  

Happy that he had a reason to escape that weird conversation, that was dangerously swifting over his own life and reasons behind moving to Pelican Town, he stretched his arms and nodded in the general direction of his farm.  

-Well, I’ll better head back. Thank you again for the lighter. I’ll se you around, yeah?-  

Sebastian  gave a slight nod at him, throwing the finished cigarette on the ground. 

_Someone here clearly doesn't care much about the environment._

And with that, Elijah started heading back towards the farm, the sky now a lovely tint of rosy-orange, the twilight peeking in from the violet clouds, and his joints hurting with every step he took. 

He managed to avoid having to explain his motifs to a complete stranger, but just barely. 

He better watch out for Pelican Town and his villagers, he thought. 


	2. Morning work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elijah thinks about his time back at Zuzu City, learns how to use a coffee grinder thanks to the internet, and Robin comes over to fix stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand I'm back again!  
> This time, with some more informations and hints about Elijah's life, past and friends back in Zuzu City, something that you will see more and more as we move into the story.  
> This chapter is very chill, but I did want to set up some informations and insight before digging into the next one! (That will be definitely more entertaining)
> 
> (also, I love Robin, can you tell? Best Carpenter) 
> 
>  
> 
> (I do want to try having an illustration related to the chapter every time, so when I'll have some spare time to draw one, I'll add it here!)  
> If you want to know how Elijah looks like, here's some art of him (done by me) : 
> 
> http://sarenhale.tumblr.com/post/182693648957/sarenhale-some-of-you-really-liked-my-farmer  
> http://sarenhale.tumblr.com/post/182643488757/i-started-replaying-stardew-valley-again-and-i  
> http://sarenhale.tumblr.com/post/182969492472/sarenhale-can-you-imagine-if-junimos-listened-to

   

  

  

Elijah groaned, as the familiar sound of his ringtone pierced his ears and filled the bedroom. 

He grabbed his cellphone, and smashed the lit up screen messily with his fingers, barely managing to stop the atrocious sound. 

When silence fell on the room again, he sighed and rolled to his side. 

He timidly stook his feet outside of the blanket and, slowly, stepped outside of his bed.  

His back was hurting right in the spot when he was now used to feel the broken bed boards hitting his spine.  

He massaged his back vigorously with his hand, and checked his phone 

The past days have been extremely quiet, but today there was a new message: it was from Kyle.   

  

 

> **Kyfry: Hey!**
> 
> **How’s the farm going? We miss you, man**

  

  

Elijah yawned and checked the picture attached to the message.   

When he clicked on it, he smiled right away.  

It was a group selfie. Kyle, Garrett and Alicia were sitting at a familiar coffee shop table, their usual meeting place. The one that had the best macha latte in town, and those muffins that Alicia adored so much.  

Kyle was smiling at the camera, Garrett was ignoring the camera as usual and focusing on his coffee instead, and Alicia had a big smile on her face as she peaced sign over part of Garrett’s face. Elijah felt a bit of sadness coming over him.  

Just a month ago, he would have been sitting there with them. Talking about work, maybe making some plans to go to the beach, listening to Alicia’s weird stories about her roommates, and poking fun at Kyle’s coworkers.  

All of that was so familiar for him, that he felt really weird by sitting in his bedroom alone just staring at the picture, miles away from them.  

He opened the bedroom's window and started to type in a response.  

  

 

> **EliJEEHAW: Aww look at you, hanging out without me**
> 
> **I miss you guys too**
> 
> **Things have been good, a lot of stuff to do tho**

He took a glance at the hour: it was now eight in the morning. Robin opened shop at nine, if he remembered correctly.  

This could give him an hour to get prepared, and some time left to have a decent breakfast for once.  

It was still difficult for him to get used to a new routine. He hadn’t had a homemade breakfast in ages, as used as he was to grabbing just a coffee and maybe a donut at the local Starbucks, before heading to work at Joja Co.   

Joja. 

He groaned at the thought, heading in the shower. Bad times, that brought him back to bad memories.  

A dark place in his life, that he was trying so desperately to forget, that year spent in Zuzu City having to work for that blasted company, working hours on hours everyday and feeling his life slipping away from his control.  

But Yoba, he hated when his head did that to him: tricking him into thinking about something innocent, and then getting weirdly hyperfixated on a bad memory like working for Joja Corp. Elijah had to phisically slap himself in the shower to try stopping his mind to wander too much. 

-Just shut the fuck up- he muttered to himself, not even sure what he was referring to, his voice sounding grumpier and sleepier than usual.   

Done with the shower, he stepped into his fresh clothes for the day, settling for a simple red and black checkered shirt and a pair of faded out grey jeans. Alicia hated that shirt, she called it the ‘clichè hipster lumberjack shirt’.  

Little did she know that later in life he would, in fact, become an actual clichè lumberjack. 

Well, maybe not yet: last time he tried to use an axe, he ended up almost chopping his whole hand off.  

It was embarassing how inexperienced he was with _everything_.  

Before moving out of his bedroom, he grabbed his sunglasses, and put them on.   

He headed to the kitchen, opening the windows and letting in some fresh air. 

The living room filled with light, and Elijah observed how the mild sun rays hit his refrigerator's door. 

He really wasn’t in the mood for bacon and eggs, so he decided he would have a couple of pancakes instead. Pancakes were easy to cook. He remembered how he survived his whole college experience with pancakes and eggs and bacon alone. That, and Kyle’s mom’s vegetable pie.   

The guy’s mom basically fed him, back at the time.  But now his best friend was in Zuzu City, far away from him. 

Only when he started cooking his pancakes, he realized he really was craving some coffee. 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t find a decent coffee machine before leaving for Pelican Town, and now he was out of his life fuel.  

He had bought a coffee grinder, though, and some coffee beans from the local grocery store -Pierre’s- last week.  

He had absolutely no idea how to use the coffee grinder, but he was determined to get to it. After all, his life was as stake.  

While eating his pancakes, he googled _‘Coffee grinder how to_ ’.  

He found a youtube video by a british guy that did reviews on fancy coffee grinders. Not his jam, not what he needed.  

  

_‘Coffee grinder how to put in coffee beans’._

  

Wikihow? Really? Had he fallen that low to check out a Wikihow article?   

-Yes- he whispered to himself, as he clicked on the link. -Give me the instructions-  

Twenty minutes later, he was quizzically pulling and pressing buttons on the coffee grinder, opening and closing the lid with a puzzled look.  

He managed to understand where the coffee beans had to be put in, and turn on the machine. Water. Ok. Everything seemed to be in order...   

He pressed the red button, and the machine froze for a second, emitting a strong pressing sound.   

-Oh, Yoba- he whispered to himself, already imagining the machine exploding in front of his very own eyes and him remaining without coffee for the rest of his life.  

But then, the machine started buzzing and within seconds, a good smell of coffee was filling the room.  

He nodded to himself with a satisfied smile, thinking that he had to thank Wikihow for that success in his life. 

As he was waiting for his cup of coffee, he heard a knock on the door. 

He reached for the doorknob and opened the door.   

-Good morning, Elijah!-  

Robin was standing in front of the door, a smile on her face, and a big, red toolbox in her right hand.   

-Good morning, Robin- he smiled back. -Hey, I just made coffee. Want some?-  

-Oh, yes please- the Carpenter said, moving inside the cabin.   

Elijah filled two cups with the fresh-brewed coffee, and motioned to Robin to take a seat with him.  

Robin put the toolbox on the floor next to her, and grabbed a cup, sitting in front of him. 

-Nothing like some coffee to start the day right, eh?- she asked him, cheerfully.  

-You tell me. It's basically my work fuel.-  

She emptied the cup quickly, and rose to her feet, energetically.  

-Speaking about work, let’s get a look at those boards of yours- 

Elijah showed her to his room, quickly removed his bedsheets and, with Robin’s help, the mattress.   

When the bed frames were revealed, the carpenter shook her head with a surprised expression. 

-Ouch, would you look at that- She lowered herself at the board’s height, reaching for her toolbox. -These three all look rotten. I can only imagine how old they are.-   

Elijah moved to take a look at the boards himself. Three boards looked darker than the usual wood, and when Robin grabbed one to test its integrity, it snapped into two pieces in her hand,  

- _Damn_ \- Elijah whispered –Guess grandpa didn’t change his furniture often, huh.-  

-Well, you’re lucky they didn’t snap under your weight as you slept- Robin chuckled, starting pulling the slates out of the bed frame.  

Elijah stepped back to avoid interfering with her work, grabbing a cigarette and putting it between his lips.  

As he reached for his jeans pockets, he suddenly remembered that his lighter was still missing.  

The misterious guy from the previous day, Sebastian, was the only reason he could have lit his cigarette altogether.   

Right... that weird guy that seemed to pop out from nowhere. And in Robin’s garden, from all places.   

He looked at the Carpenter, trying to place Sebastian’s existance in Robin’s life. Could he be... her nephew? Could he be her son? How old was Robin anyway?  

She looked pretty young to him, but maybe she was just in well shape. Maybe she was around thirty-five, or fourty?  

But from what he had seen, Sebastian didn’t look much like her. His eyes were dark as well as his hair, very different from Robin’s chestnut red hair and bright green eyes.   

Shaking his head, he even wondered why he was making so many assumptions about this guy.  

He moved into the kitchen and lighted his cigarette on the stove, and then returned to the bedroom.   

Robin was quick: she had pulled out every bed frame, and was now reaching into her bag and pulling out some new ones.  

-Ah, new frames?-   

She nodded. -I’m afraid a little replacement is due, here. Your bed frames are all almost rotten. But luckily, I had a bunch of new ones ready for you!-   

As she started placing the new frames, she slightly tilted her head towards him, looking at his face.  

-Do you smoke, Elijah?-  

Elijah blinked and was somehow struck by the tone in her voice. It reminded him of his mother’s, for a second, something he did not like.  

_Too familiar. Too close._

-Yeah- he simply responded, not sure what else he could say in response to that.  

He felt almost guily and removed the cigarette from his lips.  

-My son smokes too- Robin said, with a neautral tone.  -I wish he didn’t, but well, he hates when I bring that up, so I’ve just given up.- 

Elijah made a nervous chuckle. This was hitting too close to home, and it didn't help that he was definitely leaning on the guy's side instead of Robin's.  

-Well, I know how that feels.- 

-Oh, I wasn’t trying to guilt trip you, dear- Robin added, with a guilty smile. She continued to hammer down the boards to the bed’s frame, and for some minutes the only sound that could be heard in the room was the one of Robin’s work. -I just think you have a lot in common with him-  

Elijah noticed that she had a smile on her face, and couldn’t help but realize that her expression has gotten sweeter as she started talking about him. -Have you met Sebastian?-  

_A-ha. Jackpot._

-I have, actually- He nodded, as he finished his cigarette. -Just yesterday.-  

-Oh! Really? That's strange, he didn’t tell me anything about it.- She raised her eyebrows.  

Of course he did not.   

For some reason, when he thought about his encounter with Sebastian he remembered how cold and distant he felt, looking at him like he was deeply studying him.  

He knew that some part of that reaction was natural, after all, he was new in town and Pelican Town was a small country place in the middle of nowhere.  

He couldn't help thinking back about what he said to him, in particular: _'Out of every other place, you chose Pelican Town'._

Those words echoed in his head.

-He spends most of his time in his room in front of his computer- Robin continued -I’m surprised you managed to even catch a glimpse of him, to be honest!- 

-I think he's just one of the many people I still haven't met yet- 

-It's a small town, but full with very interesting people.- Robin added. - We have some artists, and wild spirits in here. The kind that might slip off your eye.- 

-Like Linus?- He asked.  

He remembered Linus from his first days in Pelican Town, when he had met him in Cinderswap Forest. Unfortunately, before he could even say hi, the man just stared ata him with an expression of terror and bolted away in the opposite direction.  

Elijah couldn’t had helped feeling a little guilty as he watched the man running away from him, asking himself what he did wrong.  

-There's also Elliott. He's a good guy, he has the most interesting stories.-   

-Elliott? Here's another one I missed-  Elijah said, realizing that the name wasn’t ringing any bells.  

Pelican town seemed to had gotten more interesting all of a sudden, and he had to admit he was looking forward to meet  these villagers.  

Maybe it would be a nice change of pace from the overjoyed, overwhelming country villagers that seemed to populate the small town. There wasn’t nothing wrong with some southern hospitality, but Elijah just wished they would keep to themselves a little more.  

They also had the tendency to talk a lot about his Grandpa, like Major Lewis: it wasn't a bad thing per se, but when his Grandpa's name was used as a term of comparison for what he was going to become one day, that really made him anxious. 

Grandpa was a force of nature, a man that could turn an idea into a reality.  

And he was just... Elijah. A boy in his twenties that had do idea what he was doing.  

-And... done!-  

Robin climbed out from the bed and dusted her knees, as she looked over at her work. Elijah joined her.  

The bed frames were looking good and sturdy, and definitely better than before. The old stack of wood was sitting near Robin’s feet. The difference was astounding.  

-Well, that sure looks better-  she said with a satisfied expression.  

They put the mattress back on, and following her suggestion, he tried the bed.  

Elijah was glad to notice he was actually able to bounce a little bit on the mattress, comfortably. 

-Oh, wow. It’s an entire different matter, now- he told her, moving around the mattress and feeling its softness. The new frames, instead of poking him through the mattress, were supporting his weight and adapting to his movements.  

Robin smiled with satisfaction, her hands on her hips.  

-Well, I’m glad that’s fixed! Now, let me take a look at your porch... when I came here, I saw a couple of loose boards.-  

  

  

Robin was just tireless. Once she finished with Elijah's bed, she insisted on fixing some boards on his porch.  

She knew his Grandpa's house pretty well, and revealed to him that she had studied the place before his arrival in Town.  

The house was in a good shape, considering how old it was and how busy Grandpa always was to actually have time to take care of it.  

Some fixing was mandatory, though, and Robin offered him all the help he could get from her.  

It was exciting, listening to her talking about her plans for Grandpa's house, about renovating some elements, fixing some parts and changing some others.  

There was still a long way to go, but he would get there.  

It was now after dinner time, and Elijah was sitting on his porch.  

The sky was dark blue, the starts were so visible from there, nothing like the light pollution from the city. 

WIth a cigarette in his hand, he stared at the sky and basked in the fresh air of the night, that ruffled his hair.  

_What would you think about this, Grandpa? What would you do?_

The wind caressed his face again, and moved some branches in the nearby trees.  

It looked like he wasn't going to receive an answer, that night. 


	3. Night at the Stardrop Saloon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elijah visits the local pub, the Stardrop Saloon, and find himself part of an interesting game of pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back again! I'm finally done with my finals for class and had some time to write more, and also do the chapter illustration!  
> In this chapter, things get lively as Elijah meets new people ! 
> 
> (I headcanon Stardew Valley taking set in the States, especially in California. In my mind, Zuzu City is the equal of Sacramento or a big city in California like that, and Pelican Town a village in a rather rural and natural area. That's why I refer to Elijah's origins being from North Carolina and make comments about 'country stuff' and such :) I imagine the culture being American too. Just a brief explanation on why you'll see real life names here and there!)
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so I hope you'll like it! :>

 

It was around seven in the evening when Elijah finally stopped working and decided to take a long, deserved break.   

He decided he would have spent the rest of the day chopping down the fallen trees surrounding the farmland, continuing his quest in cleaning up the neglected terrain.  

This time, he managed to get clean a decent part of the land and stock the wood next to his house, without cutting down his entire hand.  

His arms, however, were sprinkled with little superficial cuts, pink against his tanned skin.  

Most of them were due to wood chips and thorns. 

He couldn’t help but stare at them and noticing how his arms seemed to have gotten a little buffer. Was it just his imagination?  

He patted his belly with satisfaction, and headed into the shower: just a couple of months, and that would disappear as well, hopefully. Maybe replaced with a pair of abs.   

He really had never been a fan of working out or going to the gym. He didn't care much about his figure, and definitely wasn't the most athletic person on the planet. 

On the contrary, he always considered himself rather lazy. 

Even that couldn't keep him out from  _having_ to play a sport, though.  

He grimaced, remembering how his dad forced him to join the football team during high school, one of the worst ideas Joseph Christensen had ever had in his life. 

Elijah absolutely hated it, and only kept going to the football practices and games to keep his dad at bay. 

The only useful thing he got out of that, was the scolarship for college.  

He could still see it: back then, his dad was euphoric. 

He probably thought he finally was getting close to getting the perfect sporty, healthy, jocky son he always wanted. _Oh, little did he know._

Done with his shower, he got dressed and put on his sunglasses. 

He checked his hair a last time and then headed over to town.  

Despite being around seven thirty in the evening, the weather was warm and pleasant. 

Elijah rolled his checkered’s shirt’s leeves up near his elbows, smiling. The air was fresh and the sky’s colors was a lovely tint of purple and orange, the twilight now in full display.   

As he approached the town’s plaza, he started looking around.  

 _Alright_. Where he could have dropped his lighter? He started to think about his routine the previous days, and traced back to going to Pierre’s to grab some groceries and seeds, and ... he thought about the movements he could have made exiting the shop, leaning down to check the grass here and there in hope of getting glimpse of the lighter’s metal surface shining against the street lamps.   

But there was no sight of what he was looking for. Instead, he felt a hand on his shoulder, right whenhe had his butt in the air and his hands were searching the grass.  

-Elijah! What a coincidence-  

He turned around, slowly getting up again. Mayor Lewis’s face greeted him with a smile.   

-Ah, Mayor Lewis- He cleared his throath, a nervous reflex. -Sorry. Was looking for somethin’.-  

-I see- the mayor raised a bushy eyebrow, an inquisitive look on his face.  

Elijah had no idea why the man always made him feel like he was on the spot, even when he was apparently being friendly with him. 

Maybe it was his intense stare that he couldn’t return, his own eyes covered behind the sunglasses.  

-Well, whatever you were looking for, I hope you found it.- Mayor Lewis said, tilting his head with a curios look.  

-Haha, not exactly- Elijah responded. -But anyways.- He cleared his throath, hoping that the Mayor would drop the topic and move on. Luckily, he did.  

-I’m glad to see you in town- the Mayor announced with his usual jovial tone, his hand giving him a friendly and strong pat on the shoulder. -How’s the farm going?-  

-It’s a lot of work, but it pays off- Elijah smiled. 

-I’m sure you’ll do amazing. You’ve got your grandpa’s genetics, I tell ya- the old man let out a hearty laugh. -How’s the town treating ya? We’ve got a great community here, just at your disposal. Might not be as glamurous as the big city, but it’s still lovely and has everything you might ever need. -  

Elijah decided to ignore the comment about the city. Instead, he focused on pulling off his best smile.  

-Pelican Town is a good chance of pace for me. I'm appreciating it more and more- 

-I’m really glad to hear that. I noticed that you got acquainted with some villagers too. Have you visited Gus’s pub yet?- Mayor Lewis asked, raising his eyebrows with interest.  

-No, not yet. I remember Grandpa talking about it, though.- 

As much as the pub intrigued him, Elijah really lacked the time to enjoy a night out at the pub. 

The latest weeks had only been work, from sunrise to sundown.  

Most of his nights were spent lying on the couch and eventually falling asleep at the beginning of a movie. 

-How about I buy you a beer tonight?- Lewis patted him on the shoulder with a smile. -I’m sure Gus would love to meet you.-  

-Why not? I’m longing for a beer- Elijah smiled. He truly was. To his disappointment, he had found out that Pierre’s general store didn’t carry any alcohol, aside from some shitty cooking wine he wasn’t willing to try. 

-Great! I’m glad you have some time to spare. You’ll love the Stardrop Saloon. Your Grandpa was a frequent visitor.- 

He followed Lewis to the Saloon, they both approached a big and sturdy looking building located in the middle of Town.  

It was a mix of wood and bricks, and looked as old as the other buildings in Pelican Town. The big windows and the door were both completely encarved in wood and some poison ivy covered half of the brick wall, giving the structure a familiar look. 

A big wooden sign located above the door stated: 'Stardrop Saloon: food and spirits'. 

Elijah smiled to himself at how country the saloon looked, and thought that it instinctively felt familiar.  

Lewis opened and door motioned to Elijah to follow him.  

Immediately, Elijah was surprised by the amount of noise inside the saloon. 

It was highly populated, as he’d never expect from a building in shy Pelican Town: some country music was playing in the background, mixed with the noise of laughter and glass mugs clicking together.  

The inside was even better than the outside: the saloon was big and spacious, pleasantaly warm, and completely built in wooden slates.  

In front of the entrance stood the long wooden counter, full of colored spirit bottles and glasses of every kind.   

The wall was decorated with a variant of objects and souvenirs: a cow skull, a pair of cowboy boots, a pistol that look as ancient as the town itself, and numerous black and white photographs. The air smelled like beer and food, a pleasant smell that Elijah realized he had missed. 

Behind the counter, stood a hearty man with a pair of amazingly thick bown moustache, that greeted them with a big and warm smile. 

-Lewis! Come, sit, have a drink.- he announced, his pink cheeks rose to a jovial smile.   

-Gus, this is Elijah. It’s Jonathan’s nephew, and he’ll take care of his grandpop’s farm from now on.-  

Elijah smiled at the man, and shook his hand. The man’s grip was strong and secure.   

-It’s a pleasure- Elijah said with a smile. -Grandpa always mentioned this place  in his stories.- 

-You're Jonathan’s nephew? The whole town has been talking about you!- Gus let out a hearty laugh. -I’m happy to have you in my saloon, and I hope you’ll like it here!- 

-It really looks like what I've imagined from Grandpa's stories- Elijah looked around them: there was a chimney in the corner of the room, even though it wasn’t currently being used. Next to it, a big statue of a bear, carved in wood. -It reminds me a bit of my roots, where I used to live when I was a kid.-  

Gus raised his eyebrows, interested. -Oh, really? Where are you from?-  

-Family's from North Carolina- Elijah smiled. -But we moved in California when i was eleven. So I’m half a California boy and half Mid-western.-  

-North Carolina! Of course, I remember Jonathan mentioning that. Good times, good times... We all miss your grandpa very much. He was one of the best, you know.-  

Gus patted his shoulder with a friendly gesture, and affection in his eyes. Elijah could only nod. 

-Emily! A beer for Elijah and Lewis here, in Jonathan’s name.- he called, and Elijah watched as a girl with bright blue hair grabbed some mugs and started filling them.  

-Right back at you, Gus!-   

There was another townie he never encountered. So many new people to meet, he thought, this was almost similar to the old times when his family had moved to California.   

The pub really appealed to what he was used to, and what he remembered from his time in North Carolina. 

He caressed the solid wooden counter with his fingers, and absently thought about what his friends would say if they saw that place.  

There were other pubs in similar fashion in Zuzu City, but most of them were fabricated and kind of fake, stuff made for tourits to take instagram photos in.  

 _This_ , Elijah thought looking at the cow skull hanging from the wooden wall, _is the real deal._

-Here! You look like you need some refreshment, Elijah- Gus handed him a big mug full of beer, and passed one to Lewis too. 

Elijah grabbed the chunky mug with a hand, and was surprised to see that the mug was so full and big that it was almost too heavy to lift.  

-In Jonathan Christiansen’s name! A great man, and a good friend- Gus said, with a serious expression on his face. Elijah clincked his mug with Lewis's, before taking a sip. 

It tasted even better than he would have expected. The rich and fresh flavour was a blessing to his rather sore throath, and he looked back at Gus, impressed.   

-This is amazing, Gus. One of the best I've ever heard.- And he wasn’t lying. That beer could easily compete with the bar Elijah and his friends usually hung out to in Downtown Zuzu City. 

-I’m glad you think so! This is our special, it comes from a small family brewery near Calico Desert- Gus winked at him. -Strong, but fresh! Perfect after a day of work at the farm, right?- 

Another voice interrupted their conversation, and Elijah saw that it was the blue-haired girl that had filled their mugs just before.  

-Gus, I need you at the cash desk! More beers incoming!- 

-Right away!- responded Gus. He turned to Elijah again, gave him a big smile, and shook his hand again. -You enjoy the night, Elijah. Glad to have you here tonight!- 

Gus returned to his duty as a barman and owner, and Elijah turned his gaze at the pub once again, with the pint in his hand.   

The pub was large enough to contain four big round tables with a set of wooden chairs for each of them, and still allow guests to move freely around the counter with their beverages. 

Lanterns were placed on each table, giving the pub a whimsical atmosphere.  

Near a wooden saloon door, Elijah noticed a colored jukebox, lit up and working. It looked like it came stright up from th sixties, and the country music was coming from there.   

In the corner, Elijah spotted Willy, the old fisherman that lived by the sea.  

Elijah knew Willy from Grandpa's stories, and he also had the opportunity to meet him when he first moved to Pelican Town a couple of weeks before.  

Willy was enjoying a pint accompanied by the sturdy figure of Clint, the town’s blacksmith. The blacksmith didn’t talk much, so Elijah really didn't know that much about him. 

Near the counter stood Doctor Harvey, his circular glasses sitting on his red, bulbous nose. Elijah smiled a little when he noticed that the Doctor was sipping from something that looked a lot like Soda. Of course, no alcohol for the Doctor.  

Judging from his patient voice and mild manners, Elijah originally thought that the doctor was older than him, only to find out later that he was closer to his age. 

He really seemed to have his shit together, and that made Elijah feel a little jealous and intimidated at the same time.  

And then, looking around, he noticed something else: there was another room, a smaller one, right to the entrance.  

It looked more like a priveè, from what he could see from his position at the counter it looked like it included a pool table and some old videogame consoles. 

With the corner of his eye he saw some movement coming from that room, and realized that someone was moving near the table. 

Three people at the pool table, and one was looking straight at him. His stomach turned when he realized that his gaze was being returned by a pair of black, intense eyes. Sebastian. He gulped his beer and coughed loudly. 

-Take it easy, eh, Elijah?- Mayor Lewis chuckled, patting him on the shoulder.   

Elijah didn’t pay much mind to him, and just stared back at the black-haired guy in silence.  

Sebastian's eyes looked cold, and there was no mistaking it: he was looking straight at him.  

Was it weird that they were staring at eachother like that from across the pub?  

Right when he was wondering is he should move to avoid Sebastian’s gaze, he noticed that someone else was staring at him.  

It was another person he had never seen, a blonde guy with a ridicolous semi-mohawk.  

He was standing near Sebastian, next to the pool table, and he was much easier to notice him, judging by the way he had moved his neck to blatantly stare at him from across the pub. 

Elijah turned his back at them for a second, wondering if he should ask Gus for another pint. 

His mug was almost empty, and as much he craved some more, he knew it wasn’t probably a smart idea to indulge too much in drinking, if he had to wake up early the next morning.  

When he turned back from the counter, he noticed that the blonde mohawk guy was walking towards him. 

Oh boy. 

He couldn't help but look him over: he was wearing a jean jacket with some rips, colored patches and pins here and there, along with a pair of brownish tight pants and black sneakers.  

He looked like he was trying really hard to be a punk, but he was also afraid what his mom would think if he would commit too much to the look.  

-Hi- the blonde guy said, as he came to face him. 

Elijah blinked. -Hey- He put the pint on the counter.  

When he did, he noticed that Mayor Lewis was nowhere to be seen.   

The guy's piercing blue eyes stared at him, and he smiled.  

-We’re playing pool, and we’re missing a person. You wanna join?- He asked, motioning towards the priveè area.   

-Sure- Elijah found himself responding.    

The blonde guy smiled, apparently relieved by his response. 

-Nice. I’m Sam, by the way.-   

-Elijah. City boy. New guy. You probably already know.-   

Sam smirked. _Yeah, he knew._  

-You're from Zuzu City, right?- Sam’s tone was cheerful and curious. -I’m actually saving up to attend college there.-  

-Really? Good luck with that.- Elijah couldn’t help the bitterness in his voice, even if he realized too late. He quickly added: -I mean, that’s a cool plan. What college?-  

-ZUC, in Downtown.-  

-I have some friends that went there, I know that area pretty well- 

They entered the priveè area, and Elijah's eyes were instantly caught by the many decorations and flashy elements in the room.  

The big pool table was in the middle of the room, taking a considerable amount of space.  

In a corner there were a couple of arcade machine games, that looked old but were still functioning. A big pink neon sign was hanging on the wall near the videogame consoles, giving the whole room a retrò vibe.  

There was also a vending machine and a couple of big, cozy sofas.  

Sitting on one of them, Elijah saw a familiar looking girl with long purple hair.  

It was Abigail, Pierre’s daughter. She was one of the first villagers she met, back on his first day in Pelican Town.   

Elijah actually liked her: she was friendly, but not too much to ask too many questions. 

She waved at him, and Elijah nodded back with a smile. 

-Oh, you know Abby?- Sam asked, looking at their exchange with curiosity.  

-Yeah, she was one of the first people I met here.- Elijah explained. 

-Ha!- Abigail grinned and looked at Sam with a satisfied expression. -Scooped at your own game!- 

Sam rolled his eyes and snorted. -Yeah, but I was the one asking him to play with us just now.- 

Elijah barely paid attention to them, he was looking at the fourth person in the room, the one still standing next to the pool table and silent.  

Sebastian had the cue in his hand, and was leaning on the table slightly.  

He was wearing all black again, and his jet black hair were slightly brushing his left eye.  

His expression was indecifrable, but somehow distant. He looked like he wasn't paying attention or listening to what was happening in the room.  

-And you... uhm... I suppose you know Seb?-  asked Sam, his eyes darting back and forth from the two. 

-I do know him- Sebastian answered for him, tilting his head slightly. -We need a fourth man for this game. You up for it?-  

-Sure, man.- Elijah smiled back. He rolled the sleeves near his elbows and grabbed a cue. 

Sam grabbed one too, and handed one to Abigail too.  

-So, the teams are, me and Seb and you and Abby.-  Sam explained, pointing to the people present at the room.  

Abigail groaned.  

-You guys know I can’t play, right?- she moaned, lazily grabbing the cue. 

-Come on, Abby, I’m so tired to play alone against Seb. Give me this one- Sam pleaded in response.   

-I think the verb you're looking for is 'lose', Sam- Sebastian replied with a smirk.  

-Oh, shut up, you- 

Abigail moved to Elijah’s side of the pool table, and shrugged.   

-Sorry, Elijah, I'm not great at pool.- 

He smiled reassuringly. -Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m not great either. But-  

He pointed at Sebastian's direction with his cue. -I'm pretty sure we can beat this guy.- 

Sebastian raised his eyebrow slowly, the hint of a smirk on his lips. Elijah was glad to see that his provocation created a reaction.  

-Oh, really?- Sebastian asked, a hint of irony in his voice, mixed with something else. Competition.  

-Yes, really- he replied, smiling.  

Abigail elbowed him in the side.  

-I like your spirit, Elijah. I think it's time Seb has a challenger- she chuckled.  

Sam looked at them with an entertained expression on his face. He was now looking at Elijah, as to study him. 

-Elijah, you’re not gonna take your sunglasses off? Can you even see?-  

Elijah had expected the question and, luckily, had an answer prepared.  

-Why, Sam? So you can read into my poker face?- He smirked. -Not gonna happen, buddy.-  

The blonde smirked. -Hey, whatever works for you, man. You must have X-ray vision or something.-  

-Less talking, more playing, Sam!- incited Abigail.  

-Alright, alright! Uhm, who wants to have the opening shot?-  

-Sebastian, if you will- Elijah nodded at the black-haired guy across the table. 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He positioned himself on the corner of the table and launched the opening shot, with no hesitation. 

As the game went on, Elijah noticed that Sebastian was, indeed, pretty good. Sam wasn’t bad either, but he clearly was lacking the precision and strategy that the other possessed. 

He also did his best to explain some tricks to Abigail, that was picking up his suggestion pretty quickly.   

Following a couple of simple suggestions, she was able to get two balls in the hole. 

Sam watched with his mouth gaping open wide as Abigail cheered and Elijah high-fived her.  

-Hey, that was amazing!- he complimented her.   

-I don’t even know how I did that- Abigail laughed, excited.  

-What the hell- Sam scoffed, looking at the hole where the two balls disappeared just a few seconds ago. -Elijah, you’re teaching her some magic or what?-  

-Hey! He’s just a better and more patient teacher than you two are- Abigail replied, sticking her tongue at them. 

Sam rolled his eyes, but Sebastian smiled lightly. 

Elijah was surprised to see that, and watched his black eyes light up a little.  

It was an expression he hadn’t see on him yet, and for some reason neever expected to find on him.  

-Not bad- Sebastian admitted, as he positioned himself to take a shot. Elijah raised his eyes at the right moment, watching as Sebastian’s gaze briefly met his own. Without even realizing it, he gulped.   

The game went on, and in the end, they were even with the points. Elijah was surprised by how quickly Abigail was picking up his tricks.   

Sam was watching Abigail picking up the pace with an expression of pure shock on his face, and at some point, he demanded Elijah would show him some tricks too, just to make it even. 

After half an hour, they finally reached the last round.   

-It should be Elijah and Sebastian- Abigail suggested. -I really want to see Sebastian beaten, for a chance!-  

-Ouch, Abby.- Sebastian faked to be offended, an hand on his chest in a dramatical fashion. 

-I agree. I don’t want to screw up the match, anyways. Too much pressure.- Sam commented.   

-Seems like it comes down to you and me, then.- Elijah said, looking at his rival. 

He studied the table: the balls were positioned in a way that would make this an hard shot for everyone, but he had seen Sebastian’s ability with his own eyes, so he was almost certain the dark-haired guy could take the shot.   

Sebastian’s turn confirmed his suppositions: with a precise movement of his hand, he pocketed all the missing balls in the holes, careful not to slip the eight ball with the others.   

-Hell yeah!- Sam celebrated, high-fiving Sebastian.   

-C’mon, Elijah!- cheered Abigail, next to him. -Give it to him!-  

Elijah took a deep breath and positioned himself, leaning on the pool table, his eyes fixed on the eight ball. The ball was in a vey difficult position, especially since it had to enter a hole that was on the opposite side from the one he was standing on.   

He didn’t dare to raise his gaze, but he knew that everyone was watching his movements. 

He positioned the billiard cue a little bit too to the left and hit the ball. The eight ball went spinning on the surface, and hit a couple of angles, before falling into the wrong hole.   

-Fuck, yes!- Sam cheered, slamming Sebastian’s back.  

Elijah shrugged.   

-Ouch, we were almost there. But good game!- Abigail said, and went to high five him. Elijah returned the gesture.   

-Hey, good job, Abigail- he said to her. -A lot of points were thanks to you-  

-Thanks for the tips! Maybe a couple of months, and I can drag Seb to the ground.- 

Sam put down his billiard cue and moved over to the vending machine, grabbing some cans of Joja Cola.  

-Good game, Elijah!- He said with a smile, tossing a can in his direction. Elijah grabbed the can, the surface cold against his fingers. 

-Thanks.- he said, as he opened the can  -And hey, thanks for inviting me tonight.-  

Sebastian looked over at him, behind his can. He took a couple of sips, his face was still a cold and undecifrable mask.  

Elijah thought about the smile on the black-haired guy's lips when Abigail was able to hit the ball correctly, and the glimmer of competition and excitement he saw in him when he challenged him to the game. Now, he could see nothing but coldness and distance in those very same eyes. 

-Anytime, man- Sam responded, nodding.  

-We noticed that Mayor Lewis was keeping you- Abigail chuckled. -Must have been extremely boring.-  

Elijah couldn’t help but smirk at that. 

-Kinda, yeah.-   

-Oh Yoba, a night at the pub with the Mayor? Save me- Sam groaned. -Don't give him space, Elijah, or he's just talk your ears off about the community and his city plans.- 

-Fair.The beer was good, though.- Elijah shrugged. 

-Gus’s beer?- Abigail was looking at him with wide eyes. -You drink that?-  

Elijah tilted his head, curious about her reaction. -Yeah? Why?- 

-That’s, like... super heavy- she said, with an expression between admired and concerned. -I tried drinking some one time, and got tipsy immediately.- 

-That’s just because you can’t handle alcohol, Abby- chanted Sam with a smirk.  

-And you can, Sam?- Sebastian observed, raising an eyebrow. -I remember very clearly holding your hand as you threw up your soul in your bathroom, your last birthday.-  

Sam’s face was burning red. Abigail burst out laughing, satisfied by his reaction.   

-That’s just... shut the fuck up, Seb- the blonde guy mumbled, burying his face behind the can. 

Elijah chuckled, and at the corner of his eye he saw Sebastian pulling something out from his hoodie’s pocket.   

-Hey, so- 

On Sebastian’s palm, there was a shiny metal object, that Elijah istantly recognized as his lighter.  His eyes widened immediately.  

-I found it near the mine’s entrance. It’s yours, right?-  

Elijah reached for the lighter, that Sebastian handed to him. He examined it, and recognized it as indeed his zippo, the one with the dumb eagle holding U-zis in his claws, the one that Alicia got it for his college graduation two years before. 

-Holy shit, I can’t believe you found it- he murmured, and couldn't help the smile spreading on his lips when he looked the object over in admiration. 

-Well, you mentioned that you lost it. And you’re the only one in Pelican Town that smokes, so.- Sebastian shrugged. 

-Hey, thank you so much- Elijah said, a heartfelt smile on his lips. -This means a lot to me.-  

-You’re, uh, welcome.- Sebastian responded, averting his gaze. 

Elijah put the lighter in his jeans pocket, patting it with affection. He would never lose it again.   

There was a moment of silence, that was interrupted by Abigail’s voice.  

-I should probably head back- she said, looking at the clock. It was almost nine pm.   

-Same- said Sam. -Or mom will flip out again.-  

Elijah nodded. He was begging to feel tired too, the beer and the work he had done in the afternoon were starting to weighing on him.  

-I’ll head back too- he said, and tossed his empty can in the trashcan near the vending machine. -Farmland is not gotta clean herself.-  

He turned to the group. 

-So hey, thanks for inviting me. It was fun- he said, smiling. 

-Likewise!- responded Abigail. She looked at Sebastian for a second, as to check his reaction, and then added:- We usually hang out here, on Friday nights. Maybe we can do this again!- 

-It would be cool, you joining us again.- Sam nodded with a smirk. He elbowed his black-haired friend. -Right, Seb? Eh?- 

Sebastian nodded abstently, looking at his phone with a neutral expression.  

-Right. Thanks- Elijah smiled. -And thanks again for the lighter, Sebastian.- He patted his pocket.   

Sebastian gave him a nod of acknowledgment. 

With his lighter returned to him, Elijah happily headed out of the pub, waving in Gus's direction before closing the pub's door behind him. 

A good night, he thought to himself, as he headed home.   

Good beer, a good game, and some new people to get to know. 

His lighter was back with him, and hey... all thanks to that guy again. 


	4. At Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elijah takes a trip to the beach, and gets to know a new villager.  
> A little detail will spark a link with his past, that he's still not ready to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!  
> This time, in this chapter, I tell more about Elijah's and his grandpa's stories and backgrounds, plus some interesting interactions with some villagers :)  
> Next chapter will be more exciting. I'm trying to pace chapters so the story can have some nice rest and reflective chapters here and there, to avoid being too overwhelming. 
> 
> I also wanted to thank everyone for the kudos, comments, reblogs and likes ! I never expected the story to be so well-received and liked, and the amount of love and support it's getting it's really heart-warming. Thank you everyone for the support and appreciation, it's thanks to you that I'm re-descovering the joy of writing and telling a story! Thank you so much.  
> :')  
> Hope you'll enjoy the rest of the ride!

 

Chapter 4- At twilight 

 

Elijah longed to visit the Beach.  

He remembered that, since he was a kid back in North Carolina, he always loved the seaside. He would always find an excuse to take a trip to the beach with his sister, and relax on the coast with the sound of the waves cradling him.   

Pelican Town’s beach was rather small, but it was quiest. And Elijah had learned to love and cherish the sense of peace and quiet that the countryside could give him, in the past weeks.   

Sure, he loved to bask in the sun and play beach volleyball with his friends, but he also longed for the kind of peace a lonely beach could give him. A beach just like that one.  

Elijah smiled and sat down on the soft sand. The sun was warm, it was now around three in the afternoon, but luckily it wasn't unbearable.  

While he looked at the horizon, he caressed the sand beneath him with his hand, letting his mind wander around the soft white clouds.  

His finger grasped the corners of his sunglasses. After a moment of uncertainty, he moved them from his eyes, pushing them on his head. The sun was shining in front of him, which left him blind for a second.   

But he welcomed the sensation: the sky was bright blue, and he could now see the teal tint of the sea in the distance, and the white of the sea foam coming from the waves that were crushing on the sand, not so distant from his feet now.   

He smiled to himself. With some sadness, he thought on how much he would like to have his friends with him in that moment.  

It was then that he turned his head to the side, and saw the figure of a man standing not so far away from him. 

The figure had long, red hair that were flowing in the wind, and wore a reddish long sleeved shirt that was rolled over his elbows.   

He was holding a notebook in his hand and a pen in the other, and seemed deeply concentrated on what he was writing.  

Elijah looked at him with curiosity as he pulled his sunglasses down his eyes again. He had never seen this guy before, in Pelican Town.  

The guy’s hair were flowing around his head dramatically, and between that and the beach scenery around him, Elijah thought that he looked like he was straight out from some kind of cheesy romantic movie.   

He seemed very concentrated on what he was writing, and he watched his eyes darting between the notebook and the sea. Was he taking notes or what?  

Right when Elijah was trying to guess what exactly the guy was writing on his notebook, the red-haired guy turned his head a little bit, and made eye contact with him.  

Elijah couldn’t help to smile nervously and wave.  

-Hey- he simply said, hoping the guy wouldn’t mind his presence.  

-Oh, hello- the guy responded. He pushed his pen in the notebook and closed it, still keeping it in his hands. Luckily, when he waved back to Elijah and approached him, he didn’t seem angry about his presence there.  

-Sorry, didn’t want to interrupt you, you seemed pretty focused- Elijah replied, getting on his feet again.  

-Don’t worry about it. I was just writing down some ideas.- The red-haired guy raised a hand towards him, and Elijah shook it. His eyes were a bright green, and he was a couple inches taller than him. -Nice to meet you. I’m Elliott-  

-Elijah. I’m the new guy in town.-  

-Oh, really?- Elliott sounded genuinely surprised, and he smiled at him. -I’ve heard about a new farmer moving to Pelican Town. I suppose that’s you?-  

-Yup. Little old me.- Elijah admitted, still not used to being the centre of attention. -I’ve never seen you in Pelican Town, before.-  

-I’m rather new to the area. I moved here just a month ago.-  

-Ah, we’re both new, then.- Elijah felt somehow relieved, knowing that. Elliott seemed alright, and he liked the idea of someone being as new to the town as him. It made him feel less alone, somehow.  

Elijah remembered Robin mentioning Elliott to him, saying he was some kind of creative soul. Elijah could totally see that, now, between the long hair, the laid-back attitude and the notebook that he held in his hand, that looked like it had been used a lot in the past years.  

-Are you from Zuzu City too?- Elijah asked.  

Elliott nodded. -Yes. I lived there for a couple of years... and then, decided to move here. To be more precise... there.- The red-haired guy turned and pointed to a small cabin situated near some palm trees. It was  near the village’s path, and Elijah remembered looking at the small contrsuction when he first went to the beach a week before.  

The cabin looked old and rusty, but something about the small wooden construction, maybe the enviable positition, made it look like a dream getaway residence to him.  

-No way. On the beach? That’s awesome- 

Elliott smiled. -It’s very quiet, which I like. I need silence, to be able to concentrate on my writing- He chuckled. -I was pretty immersed in this chapter, actually. I’ve been working on this one for days.-  

-You’re a writer?- Elijah asked, interested. Elliott nodded, and his fingers played a little with the leather notebook.   

-I’m working on a novel. I moved here to get better inspiration, and escape the city’s distractions.-  

Elijah nodded, his hands on his hips. -Ah, I can understand that. I mean, the distraction part. I’m not creative in any way, but... I know that the city can get a bit too much.-   

-I agree. Were you also looking for a break for the city yourself?- Elliott asked. His tone wasn’t indulging or nosy, but rather sounded like he knew where Elijah was coming from. 

-Yeah, kinda. Don’t we all?- Elijah responded, with a rather sad smile. He didn’t really know what to add to that topic and didn’t want to get further into that, so he asked :- So, how do you like Pelican Town so far?-  

-It’s a very pretty town, and the villagers are nice.- He hesitated a bit, and then smiled lightly, mostly to himself. -Even though they can... stare sometimes, but I know they mean well.-  

Elijah smiled widely. Oh, he knew exactly what Elliott was talking about.  

-Sounds like my own experience too.- To avoid sounding too salty or angry, he smirked and added:- But yeah, you know, usual stuff. You’d be surprised at how much people can stare and judge in the big city, too.-  

Elliott nodded. -I came here with the hope that the quietness of this place could help me finish my novel. So far, it’s been an interesting experience, getting to live a different kind of life. More in touch with nature, and avoiding unecessary distractions.-  

Elijah looked at the notebook that was in Elliott's, hand: it was made of leather and looked pretty fancy, if not for the multiple scratches and discolorations on the cover. 

Elijah had the idea that Elliott must have been carrying that notebook everywhere he went.   

-No internet, no cellphone, no distractions, eh?- 

Elliott nodded. -That, and also... the city was too draining. A block to my creativity flow. I really needed to dinstance myself from it.- He glanced at his wooden cabin. -So... I gathered only the things that mattered, and moved here.-  

Elijah didn’t really understand the creative purpose that was driving him, he never had any creative or artistic talent, but could appreciate the guy’s motivation and courage to make that move and decision.   

He knew how hard it was, to drop everything and move in the middle of nowhere: it meant changing your routine, your friends, your landscape, your house, your life.   

It meant changing  _everything_.  

And it was the same for him too: in the darkest period of his life, he had this crazy idea to move to the countryside, and take his Grandpa's farm in his own hands.  

At first, he remembered laughing at the absurdity of the idea. Now, he was there, starting his own new life.   

He often caught himself thinking about his old place in Zuzu City, and knowing that he could easily move back into his flat wasn’t exactly helping him. He was still tempted to get back to his old life, even if deep down he knew it wasn’t a good idea, and fore multiple reasons. 

But he also knew that it couldn’t be so simple: despite his own thoughts and judgement, he knew that there were multiple reasons that still tied him up to Zuzu City.  

It was just a matter of having control of his own life, and that was simple to say but difficult to achieve.  

-Yeah, same here.- was all he said to Elliott, and turned around to catch a glimpse at the wooden cabin.   

Just in that moment, his vision freezed, invaded by a quick projectile coming his way.  

The projectile was extremely quick and was directed towards the red-haired guy standing next to him.  

Without even thinking, Elijah pushed Elliott to the side, and grabbed the ball. 

Elliott blinked, confused, and Elijah looked at the object that was now firmly in his hands: it was a football ball.   

-Hey, that’s a good catch!-  

Elijah turned his gaze to the source of the voice: someone was walking towards them, coming from the city’s path.   

It wasn't difficult to recognize him: the green letterman jacket, the tight blue jeans, and the perfectly styled brown hair, gently moved by the breeze.  

Alex smiled, his eyes still fixated on Elijah. In particular, he was looking at the ball between his hands.  

-I swear you weren’t even looking- he added, raising an eyebrow, with an amused and impressed expression. 

Elijah felt a shiver run through his spine, and was barely aware that his hands were grasping the ball tightly. The object felt suddenly heavy and cold in his hands.  

-Just be careful throwing that- he replied coldly, handing the ball over to its original owner with a smooth movement.  

Alex caught the ball with no effort, and whirled it in his hand, still looking at Elijah, scanning him from head to toe. 

He was looking at him with a sort of interest that Elijah didn’t ever see in him.  

He rembered that back when he moved to Pelican Town, Alex was one of the first people he met, and back at the time he remembered his unimpressed and judgemental gaze. 

He instantly hated him.  

The letterman jacket that reminded him so much of the typical jock he had met conutless times in college and high school, his strong chin and cheekbones, and just that attitude, that owerflowing confidence, visible in each of his movements.  

Elijah had dealt with enough jocks back at his time, and he was really not looking forward to repeating the experience in adulthood.  

Even know, looking at Alex, he instantly felt a wave of frustration and discomfort passing over him. 

And how ridicolous it was, that even the smallest country village in the middle of the State, had a jock in it? Elijah didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or to scream.   

-You play?- Alex asked, with a certain glimmer in his green eyes. Elijah could tell: it was respect. Something that, along with the hopeful tone in his voice, made him feel even worse.  

-No.- he responded, aggressively.   

Alex blinked a couple of times at his response, but he didn’t see willing to give up.  

-But you sure did, in the past. That’s no amateur catch.- He knew what he was talking about, and Elijah knew he was right. That only made him angrier.   

-Sorry, but I really have no time to discuss football with you.- Elijah said with a bitter smile. 

He patted Elliott on the shoulder as to say goodbye, and began walking away from them very quickly, without turning his back.  

He knew their eyes were on his back at the moment, but he was trying his hardest not to think about it, as he moved towards the pier with an aggressive and quick stride.  

He stepped on the wooden slates, that creaked a little under his weight. A wooden cabin, with a wide roof, stood in front of him. Elijah recognized it as Willy’s shop.  

The construction was clearly old, and barely kept. The wide red roof was a mix of bricks and wooden slates, and the entire contruction had a very distintive smell of wood and salt.  

On the front, there was an old carved sign, that said ‘Fish and lures’. Elijah was pretty sure that Willy had carved the sign himself, back in the days when he put up shop.  

Outside of the building there was a wooden bench, with a lantern and a pair of lures, that belonged to the old fisherman.  

Elijah observed how the wind chimes moved a little in the gentle afternoon breeze, right near the shop’s entrance door. Everything from the wind chimes’s gentle tunes, from the sun that was beginning to set behind him and the sound of the waves, eradiated calm.   

He only wish he wasn’t feeling so angry inside.  

Elijah felt stupid and miserable. He was getting angry because of a stupid football ball, and the only thing that was ruining that beautiful sight was his stupid attitude. 

With a frustrated sigh, he sat down on the wooden bench, and removed his sunglasses.   

He sighed again, breathing deeply and trying to calm down.  

He grabbed his head between his hands and tried to concentrate on the sounds of the waves. 

He only hoped that no one would follow him there: he was already feeling guilty for the weird exchange with Alex, and Yoba only knew what Elliott though about him now.   

Did he think he was some kind of a lunatic?   

_...And what about Alex?_

Sure, Elijah didn’t really like him in the first place, and Yoba knew how much he hated jocks, but maybe he didn’t deserve to be treated that way. After all, he was just being friendly... in  jocky way, but still... did he deserve that treatment? 

Elijah dragged his hands over his face and he groaned loudly. 

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

He hated having no control over his emotions.  

It was very easy: a sentence, a word placed in some kind of way that reminded him of his past or of some painful memories, could make his mood change completely, and shake his whole world up. 

He groaned pathetically between his hands. Yoba, he really needed to apologize to him.  

Just when million thoughts of different type and origin were beginning to swallow him, the sound of a wooden door slamming open made him jump and return to reality.   

He instantly reached for his sunglasses and put them back on, his hands were slightly shaking. 

-Good afternoon, Elijah- a familiar voice said, next to him. With the sunglasses covering his eyes again, he turned to his right.   

Willy, the old fisherman, was smoking his pipe next to him. His expression was calm and welcoming, as always.   

-Hey, Willy- he responded, with a weak smile. 

The old fisherman took some drags from his pipe, not saying anything for some seconds.  

He turned towards the sea, and Elijah looked at his silhouette against the brightness of the twilight, amazed at how calm the old man looked.  

He almost felt relieved by only looking at him: it was almost as his presence could radiate calm. 

-A beautiful day- Willy said, staring at the waves in the distance.  

-Yeah. Are you going fishing tonight?- 

-Maybe. We’ll see.-   

Silence. 

Elijah moved uncomfortably on the bench.  His fingers reached for the cigarette pack, and his trusted lighter.   

He stared at the metal lighter, and traced the carving of the eagle with his finger, thinking about how lucky he was to be reunited with his beloved lighter again.  

And it was all thanks to Sebastian, he absentlythought, as he put the cigarette between his lips and lit the extremity.   

-Are you alright, son?- Willy’s voice sounded as calm as always, with only a slight tint of concern in it.  

Elijah smiled sadly at himself, not knowing what to say. He waited a little bit, before saying: -Yeah. I think so.-  

Even he could notice how uncertain his voice sounded.  

-You don’t have to say you are.- Willy moved a little back, turning his head at him, and Elijah could see his gentle smile and his kind eyes, peeking between the wrinkles of his tanned skin. -I hate when people ask me that and expect a sincere answer.- 

Elijah chuckled pathetically, the smell of tobacco from his cigarette mixing with whatever was in Willy’s pipe. His throath felt sore and his chest heavy. 

-This takes me back to the old days. Jonathan and I... we used to talk like this, here, on the pier.- He smiled to himself. -Your Grandpa would provide the mead, and I would provide the location. We would drink and look at the sea.-  

Elijah smiled. He never knew much about Grandpa’s life to begin with, even if he spent a lot of time with him at the farm when he was little.   

Elijah and Ciaran would visit him every summer. It was an occasion to reunite the family, and also kind of a getaway for both of them. 

Grandpa was good with them, he knew his way with kids. He was charismatic and knew everyone in town, but he never was one to talk much about his life. 

Nobody knew much about him: Elijah knew that he preferred to listen to others, rather than talk, and that always contributed to give him an aura of mistery, even between his own family. 

Elijah always felt like he was looking at some kind of mythical entity, rather than just his Grandpa: to his eyes, he was heroic, strong, kind, and charming.  

He knew how to do everything, and had an undying resolve that could drive him whenever he wanted and get what he wanted. It was like he had an undying fire inside of him.  

His Grandpa was his role model. Someone he wanted to be like. 

-I never knew much about Grandpa- Elijah muttered, finishing his cigarette. -He was a reserved man. You knew him, but always felt like you never truly knew him.-   

Willy smiled.  

-Sounds like Jonathan, alright’.- he chuckled -That’s why I liked him, you know. We got along well, him and I. When there is silence, you can really enjoy the words that you share.-  

Elijah nodded. As he grew as an adult, he found himself agreeing more and more with those words. That’s also why the city felt so draining to him: it was always talking, noise, and being around someone. Faking something, pretending to be something. 

Showing some sides of yourself you weren't really interested about, and just because it was  _easier_ that being true to yourself. 

During his times in Zuzu City, especially during College, things quickly started to feel overwhelming when he felt like he continuously needed to act cheerful and interested around people.  

-How did you and Grandpa meet?- he asked Willy. 

-When Jonathan moved here, we were around the same age. In our twenties, I’d say.- Willy took a drag from his pipe. -He bought the farmland you now own for a ridiculous price, because no one wanted to buy it. Someone said it was cursed.- Willy laughed, a hearty sound that made Elijah smile. -Some old tale of sorts, the kind that villagers love to tell to scare away strangers. But your Grandpa was though stuff. He said he was gonna fight the spirits himself, if he had to. He had a plan in his head, and no ghost was gonna scare him away.-  

Elijah felt himself smile again. He never knew that side of the story: his dad only told him that Grandpa moved to Pelican Town when he was young, about Elijah’s age, and decided to buy some land to settle down. He sure as hell never mentioned curses or ghosts.   

-During the first nights it was all weird noises outside his window. Jonathan bolted on his feet, his trusty rifle in his hands. The sounds wouldn't stop, so he decided to spend the night on the porch with his rifle in his hands, ready to fire at the slightest sight of danger. That went on for a week.-  

He paused and took a drag from his pipe.  

-After that, it stopped. No more weird noises or anythin’ like that. Jonathan had won against the curse.-   

Elijah laughed. -Was the curse just some kind of wild animal near the cabin?-  

-Possibly. Or some of the villagers purposely trying to scare him away.- Willy smirked. -But after that trial, apparently, whoever the ‘spirit’ was, animal or villager, decided that Jonathan was though enough to earn a place in Pelican Town. Not long after that, he was accepted by everyone. They knew he was strong willed and determined, and that was enough for them. People here, they admire an honest heart and strong will, that can drive you to your destination.-  

Elijah thought that was also what he admired about Grandpa. 

His undying fire driving him across any obstacle, and his iron will that allowed him to forge his own life and create something from zero. 

It was easy to forget it, but Grandpa was originally from the city like him, and wasn't born with all of the notions and know-hows of farmlife.  

He just had enough patience and determination to learn it all.  

Elijah reached for a second cigarette and lit it.  Would he have the guts to survive an entire week of creepy noises outside his cabin? Probably not.  

He was only thankful that, whatever it was that woke Grandpa at night years ago, never returned to the cabin to give the same treatment to his nephew. 

-We became friends after that. He was an odd fellow, your grandpa...never talked much, but when he did, he always said the right things. He knew what to say, at the right moment. And he was a perfect companion, when fishing.- Willy turned to him and winked. -A silent one.-  

Elijah laughed softly.  

He didn’t even know that much about him before, and was grateful to Willy for talking about him and sharing what he knew with him.  

He almost felt like he was retrieving some old memories that went missing from his own collection: everything that he could learn about Grandpa was precious to him, especially now that he was gone.  

But the idea that he would never talk to him was still hard to accept. He felt his eyes start to water  uncomfortably. 

-You never know how much you miss a person until you lose them- he murmured -It’s always weird. One moment he’s there, and the other, he’s gone. And you can't do anything about it.- 

Willy nodded silently.  

-When I received his letter, I, I... I was in shock- Elijah said, feeling his throat dry up. His chest was heavy. -To me, he was always so strong, and determined, it’s almost like he was invincible. It sounds stupid, but... I kinda always thought he would never die.-  

-You’re never truly prepared.- Willy simply said.  

Elijah nodded weakly to himself, and was greatful that Willy couldn’t see his red eyes thanks to the sunglasses covering them. 

It was an unconscious thought. Hiding his pain, and his tears. 

Always done that, even as a kid. 

  

He's eight years old, and his ankle twists when he falls from his bike. 

_'Don't cry'_

Now he's twenty-two. It's raining hard on his shoulders, and he feels his hair sticking to his forehead. Ciaran's hand is on his shoulder, and they're staring at Grandpa's coffin being lowered to the ground.  

_'Don't cry'_

  

Elijah clenched his jaw and closed his hand in a fist, his knuckles white.  

-I have the feeling you’re a lot like your Grandpa too, Elijah.- Willy said, with a reassuring smile. His voice is comprehensive. -A lone wolf. I admire that. But you don’t have to always be alone, you know.-  

Willy took a drag from his pipe, his eyes were looking at him now, and the orange light of the twilight was making them sparkle. 

-You’re a good lad. The people in the town already like you. I don’t believe in fate, but... I can’t help but feel like you were really meant to follow your Grandpa’s footsteps. It’s in your blood.- Willy smiled again, the wrinkles in his tanned face giving him a gentle and wise expression.  

Elijah had to wait a few seconds, before being able to say something.  

-I... don’t know what to say.- His second cigarette was now gone. 

He knew that Willy's words were exactly wad he needed. It was what he needed from his father, what he wanted him to say an year before when the news of Grandpa's death hit him, the words that never came out from his mouth. 

It wasn't only a matter of being reassured, but knowing how he started.  

He knew he wasn’t as though or charismatic as him, and the comparison with his Grandpa often scared him, because he felt like he was going to let everybody's hopes down.  

But Willy knew his Grandpa, like no one truly did when he was alive. 

He saw him growing up, from the beginner and stranger to Pelican Town to someone that had forged his own life, his own destiny, in Stardew Valley. 

Elijah could only feel admiration towards that, towards someone that was able to really take his life in his hands.  

He couldn't help but feel that he could be like that too. A pale hope, that was however possible.  

-You don’t have to say anything- Willy laughed, and patted him on the shoulder. -I hope that wasn’t too much. I know I’m a stranger to you. Don't pay too much attention to an old fisherman's tale.-  

-No, it’s nothing like that. I really appreciate it- Elijah smiled sincerely towards the old fisherman. -No one ever told me so much about Grandpa, and I didn’t know how much I wanted to hear more about him. About... how he started, and how he lived.-   

-He wasn’t perfect, you know? He took his time to get adjusted with things, and learn everything. Damn, I remember that time he almost chopped his whole hand off with an axe, trying to swing it at the tree!-   

Elijah laughed out loud at that. 

-I almost did that too!-  

Willy laughed and patted him on the shoulder again. -See? That’s the Christensen blood. But I'm glad you still have your whole arm.- He chuckled to himself again, smoking his pipe. -Take it easy, lad. The farm is not going anywhere, and she needs the time to get used to ya as much as you need to get used to her.-   

-You’re right.- Elijah said, and he truly believed it.  

He just wish it was easier for him to take things slowly and get used to things, as much as it was just saying it.  

With a new hope in his heart, and feeling somehow more hopeful and reassured, Elijah stared at the sea with Willy next to him, the smelll of tobacco and salt filling his nose.   

_It will take time._

But in that moment, with the fisherman's figure right next to him, he felt less alone in that mess. 

He took a deep breath, and stood up, right next to Willy. They both looked at the sky, and at the sea right in front of them, the sound of the waves lulling them. 

-Thanks, Willy.-  

The fisherman smiled, and his expression said that he knew what he meant. 

-I'm here for ya, kid.- 

And Elijah believed that. 

 


	5. The Flower Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elijah goes to the Flower Dance, eats some mashed potatoes, and gets to know better some villagers... a solitary one in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back!!! I'm really happy I can finally publish this chapter, because it was so much fun to write it! I love events in the game and the Flower Dance is really one of my favourites. I really like writing about social events, for some reason!  
> I also have TWO illustrations for this chapter (one in the beginning, one at the end), since it's a long one and there are 2 moments in the chapter in particular I wanted to draw.  
> I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and are looking forward to know more. I'm still developing Elijah as a character, and this story is a way to get to know him myself.  
> Thank you for the support and for reading! <3

Chapter 5- The Flower Dance

 

Elijah yawned loudly and shivered, as the morning breeze caressed him. 

The air was colder, the sun was peeking from behind a couple of white, fluffy clouds. It was going to be a good day. 

He distractly swept his hair away from his forehead, yawning again. He grabbed his watering can and started tending to his garlic seeds.  

He wasn’t really an expert on crops, so he decided to start with the easy ones. In the previous days, he decided to try growing some garlic seeds, just as a start. 

Garlic was good. He liked garlic, and 95% percent of the American population did too.

It would be a good product to sell, he thought. He only hoped he could grow these crops and not fuck them up completely. 

He really didn’t have good records with plants in general: when he was living with his sister, he ended up killing two of her succulents because he was watering them too much. 

And one time, he completely forgot to water the basil plant him and Kyle were keeping in their small room in the college campus, killing it. 

When he established that the crops were watered enough (and not too much, hopefully), he put down the watering can and headed back into the house. It was nine in the morning, and he was pretty proud that he managed to wake up at seven. 

He was on a hot streak: that was quite the accomplishment for him, since he had never been a morning person in his life.

Waking up early always had been difficult for him. 

He stared at the living room: Grandpa’s cabin was still pretty empty, and Elijah had promised himself to buy some furniture, when he had time.

He had to grab a dresser and a couple of shelves. He really wanted to try build his own furniture, but he wasn’t really sure he was up for the challenge. 

Maybe that was too much for him: after all, he almost chopped his hand off with the axe just a week before.

He headed towards the bedroom, dressing up for the day.  

That day he was feeling particularly lazy, so he went with a pair of rather comfy camo pants that once belonged to his dad, and a bland black t-shirt. He passed a hand in his hair to give them some direction, put on his sunglasses, grabbed the essentials (keys, cigarettes and lighter, plus some money) and headed out.  

The birds were chirping around the farm, and Elijah happily observed how better the farmland surrounding the cabin was looking now, after days and days of cleaning up debris, branches, and fallen wood.

He headed towards town, determined to grab a couple more seeds for Pierre’s, and stock up on some groceries.  

When he approached the town’s plaza and looked around, he couldn’t help but notice how the town was surprisedly empty. Usually, at that hour, he would see some villagers up and working, but this time, no one was there. 

Confused, he headed towards Pierre’s General Store. When he approached the store, though, he saw that the shop's lights weren't on and everything was looking undeniably closed. A signboard hanging from the door handle confirmed that. 

Elijah scratched his head, and quickly thought about what could be the reason. 

It wasn’t a Wednesday, so why would Pierre’s be closed? Maybe some family matter? 

His attention got caught by the board right next to the store’s door: it was Pelican Town’s bulletin board, where some flyers and communications were regularly posted, mostly by the Mayor and some other villagers looking for help with some chores.  

Aside from the usual calendar of the month, Elijah’s eyes focused on another flyer: it looked recent, and on the paper someone wrote:

‘Flower Dance. 9am –2pm. Head to the Cindersap Forest’s clearing to celebrate the end of Spring with us!’ 

Flower Dance, huh? Elijah had never heard of such event before, but apparently, judging for the total absence of every villager in Pelican Town, everyone was probably already celebrating and taking part in it.

He quickly checked his phone: it was around nine thirty, so the event had already started.  

Checking one last time Pierre’s door, he headed towards the path that leaded to Cindersap Forest. 

He had no idea what the celebration was about, but it was not like he had something better to do. Since he couldn’t buy what he needed from Pierre’s that day, at least, he could chill at the event.  

He hoped they had some kind of refreshments, because he was already getting hungry. 

Pelican Town’s plaza disappeared behind him, and he walked along the path leading towards the Forest. He passed in front of Marnie's Ranch.

He had met her back during his first day in Pelican Town: a sweet woman, that was the true definition of southern hospitality. 

Glancing towards the ranch, he caught sight of a couple of healthy-looking horses stacked in the stable, but there was no sign of Marnie. 

Continuing towards the path, he saw a colorful sign near the forest.  

‘Flower dance: this way!’ 

Moving in the direction of the sign, his hands in his pockets, he began to hear some kind of music in the distance, and the distant echo of laughter and voices.  

The festival was bein held in a big clearing in the forest, tall green trees surrounding the gathering of villagers celebrating, taking drinks and talking to eachother. 

Approaching the festival, he could hear the music better now: it was some kind of weird old folk music, that for some reason really fitted in the context.

Everyone was there, and the energy was high.  On the corner of his eye, he saw Robin talking to Mayor Lewis, and Marnie was there too with them. Some villagers were dancing, some taking refreshments from the buffet table.

There were flower decorations everywhere, that looked like they were arranged by someone with a certain taste. Colorful ribbons and flags were hanging from the trees surrounding the festival’s area, and a little selling booth that seemed to be managed by Pierre.  

There were some wooden benches around, that looked like they were installed for the occasion. The refreshment table was full of different types of drinks, pies, cookies, and even a big decorated bowl that looked like it contained mashed potatoes.  

Looking around, not so distant from him and near the river, he caught sight of Elliott. 

He had a paper cup in his hand, and was chatting with another villager that Elijah had never seen before. It was a red-haired girl with a long braid resting on her shoulder and chest, she was wearing a simple green t-shirt, a pair of brown pants with braces, and hiking boots.  

Elliott turned his head as Elijah approached them, and smiled.

-Ah! Elijah- he said, raising his cup. -It's good to see you.-

-Hey, Elliott-  

Elijah was truly grateful to see that the man was talking to him normally, and didn’t seem to mention or remember the event of the previous afternoon at the beach. Feeling relieved, he took a mental note to apologize to Alex as soon as he coud.  

Luckily, Elliott seemed like he did forget about his weird behavior from yesterday.

Elliott turned to the red-haired girl standing next to him, and motioned at her with his cup.

-Leah, this is Elijah. Elijah, Leah.-  

The girl smiled, freckles decorating her rosy cheeks, and pulled her hand towards him.  

-Nice to meet you, Elijah! I’m Leah.- Her hand shook his vigourosly, with a certain strenght that Elijah didn’t expect at first. -So, I finally meet the mysterious farmer!- 

Elijah smiled shily.

-Yup, that’s me. I don’t know about the ‘mysterious’ part, though- 

-I’ve heard you moved into the farm recently! Do you know that we’re basically neighbours?- 

-Really?Where do you live?- 

-Do you know where Marnie’s ranch is? Well, I’m in that little cabin by the lake, next to Marnie’s.- 

-That's yours?- Elijah asked, raising his eyebrows, surprised. -I’ve seen the cabin a couple of times passing by, I had no idea you lived there. The cabin looks very cozy.-

Leah smiled, and seemed proud of that affirmation. -I know, right? When I saw her, I knew I just had to move here!-

Elijah looked at Elliott, and than back to Leah, with a smirk.

-So, beach cabin guy, and river cabin girl here... you guys snatched some good places, eh? I almost feel left out from the cool boys cabin club.- he said, tilting his head a little bit. 

Both Elliott and Leah chuckled at that affirmation.

-Hey, your place is beautiful. Seriously. You have so much land to use, and no one to bother you for acres.- Leah pointed out with a smirk. -That’s a winner.-  

-I kinda agree on that. I really don’t miss having noisy neighbours.- Elijah said, thinking back about his time in Zuzu City.

In every apartment he had lived in, he could never escape that one noisy neighbour.

He had a lot of them, and each one was diffent: the couple that used to have really loud sex every morning next to his dorm back in college, the woman walking on high heels all the time on the top floor from his sister's apartment, and also, he couldn’t forget the man that watched Doctor House at an incredibly loud volume, during his latest apartment situation with Kyle. 

At his new place in the farm, the maximum amount of noise he could hear would be the birds chirping or some owls during the night, and there was really nothing to complain about. 

It was almost strange, at first, sleeping in the total silence of the countryside: he was so used to the city, that the total absence of noise made him creeped out at first.

Elliott raised his cup and asked:-Have you tried the Apple Cider, Elijah? It’s truly delicious. Gus brought it.- 

Elijah looked towards the table, and felt instantly hungry. He only had some coffee for breakfast, that day. -Actually, I’ve been eyeing that table since I arrived here. I’ll go grab something.-  

He waved at the two redheads, and moved towards the big festival table.  

Near the river, talking to Gus, Elijah saw Willy, the old fisherman. He waved in his direction, and Willy titled his head and smiled back at him. 

Elijah grabbed a paper cup and filled it with the apple cider that Elliott recommended. He eyed the mashed potatoes with lust, but refrained from devouring them.

Soon, but not yet.

He instead grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and turned around: there was an area that was more spacious and organized than the rest, and had a couple of big speakers placed near the trees and the floral decorations.  

Maybe they were planning to have a concert of something? 

The event was called ‘Flower Dance’, though, so maybe there was going to be a dance of some sort? Maybe one of those weird county faires ones, where everybody held hend with eachother. 

Elijah was familiar with them, he remembered going to his share of county faires, when he was a kid back in Jacksonville. He would spend all the time riding ponies and shooting cans with his sister, back then, while observing the weird dances in the distance. 

His father was particularly fond of the Vegetable Growing Contest, he wouldn't miss one for all of the money in the world. That was probably the only thing that tied him down to Grandpa, Elijah tought absently. 

-Elijah!- 

He returned to reality when he heard someone calling his name. It sounded familiar, and in a few seconds he understood why.

A girl with bright purple hair was running towards him.  

-Oh, hey, Abigail- he said, smiling. 

Her cheeks were a deep red, and he noticed how her hair was arranged in a different way than usual: her purple locks were tied in a high chignon, decorated with some white flowers on top.

A couple of locks were framing her face, and gently touching her neck and shoulders.  

But more than so, she was not wearing her usual clothes: she had a pure white dress on, decorated with some lace near the end of the dress, making the gown puffy. 

Hanging from her neck there was her usual purple gem necklace, glimmering slightly.

-You look great-

Abigail smiled, her cheeks flushing an even deeper red. -Thanks! It’s for the dance. Mom insisted on preparing me this morning, so...- 

-Oh yeah, what’s the deal with this dance?- Elijah asked, taking a sip from the apple cider. -I really have no idea what’s going on today, to be honest.- 

-It’s just the Flower Dance. We do this every Spring.- she explained, grabbing a chocolate cookie herself. -Everybody gathers here, eats, and dances. It’s some sort of tradition.- 

-Well, the dress looks great.- He shrugged and smiled. -I had no idea I had to dress up, otherwise I wouldn’t come here looking like a total hobo.- 

Abigail chuckled as she nibbled on the chocolate cookie. -Nah, you look cool. And it’s no big deal, it’s for tradition's sake. My mom kinda forces me to take part every year.- She rolled her eyes. -I like dressing up, but I’m not a big fan of dancing. Plus, Sebastian is not a great partner.- 

Elijah raised his eyebrows. -Sebastian dances?- he asked, and couldn't help the slightest hint of sarcasm in his tone.

-Not really. I just drag him around.- Abigail said, laughing softly. She apparently noticed the sarcasm in his question. -He’s forced by his mom too, so he’s not really thrilled about the dance either.- 

-Sounds like a big family tradition thing.- Elijah commented, reaching for his cigarette pack.  

-It kinda is. It’s a big deal for the oldies.- Abigail rolled her eyes and grabbed another cookie. -But at least there’s food, right?- 

-I’ve been eyeing those mashed potatoes since I’ve arrived, to be honest.- 

Abigail burst out laughing. -Me too! I’m just waiting for lunch for it to be socially acceptable to snag ‘em.- 

Elijah smiled, the cigarette pending from his lips. 

-I knew you could understand me, Abigail.-

In response, she punched him payfully on the arm, chuckling.  -Just call me Abby. You sound like my mom when she's angry, if you call me by my full name.-

Elijah nodded and was about to say something, but his attention was caught by someone walking in front of him: it was a blonde girl, wearing a long white dress decorated with some flowers and swirling patterns, that looked sewn on. 

Special attention was put in her blonde hair, tied in a high ponytail. On the top of her head rested a flower crown, made of white flowers. 

She was swirling around and mouthing words silently, like she was rehearsing something. 

-Ugh- Abigail commented, staring at her. Elijah raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend. Her reaction didn't really pass unnoticed.

-Haley, huh?-

He knew nothing about her, except from the fact that she always looked fully glamed- up  and was always wearing stilish clothes from top to bottom.

When he first saw her, Elijah thought she was a tourist from the city or something like that. Her look really screamed 'Zuzu City's downtown' to him, so he was very surprised when he learned later that she was, in fact, a resident from Pelican Town.

She was pretty, but something about her seemed cold and unreachable. Maybe her cold, light-blue gaze, that always seem to scan you from head to toe. 

Abigail rolled her eyes again. -I swear, she puts so much effort in this stupid dance. I don’t understand.- She paused a little, and then added:- She’s so proud to be the Flower Queen, like it truly means something.- 

-Flower Queen?- Elijah asked, puzzled. 

-It’s like, basically, Prom Queen.- Abigail explained, sounding rather hostile.

-Oh.- Elijah nodded silently, taking a drag from the cigarette again. -Ok, everyting makes sense now.- 

Only hearing that term made him cringe. Every memory he had from Prom was cringe worthy, to say the least.  

He really didn't want to think about his high-school days, so he was happy when he saw that Sam was coming towards them, calling for Abigail.

The blonde guy was dressed rather elegantly too: he was wearing a blue bottoned-up shirt, and a pair of dark blue pants. His usual blonde hair wasn’t styled in a mohawk, this time: it was more kept and styled to the side, but some blond locks were still sticking out in a wild fashion on the sides of his head. 

He had a white flower attached to his shirt’s pocket, a symbol that seemed to be a reccurent theme in the festival. 

-Emily and your mom are looking for you. Something about the dance.- he said to Abigail.

-What? Something happened?- 

-I dunno. They mentioned that someone is missing or something- he responded, shrugging.  

Abigail quickly moved towards the direction Sam came from, her white flowy dress moving in the wind. 

-Hey, Elijah- Sam said, nodding at him and grabbing a cup of juice. -How’s it going?- 

-Alright. Just came to check this festival out- Elijah responded, lighting up the second cigarette. -I had no idea this was even a thing.- 

-Yeah... the Mayor organizes this every year.- Sam said, with no enthusiasm. He took a sip from the juice. -And as a community, we come here to celebrate together the end of spring... fertility time... nature blooming... or whatever. Blah, blah.- 

-Sounds like everyone is really thrilled about this dance.- Elijah smirked. 

-Ugh, don’t even mention it, man.- Sam groaned, rolling his eyes. -I only do it cause my brother likes it. At least, someone is enjoying it.- 

Looking at Sam and Abigail in the distance, Elijah couldn’t help but wonder where Sebastian was. As he recalled, the three of them were inseparable.

Deciding to voice his thought, he asked:- Is Sebastian here?- 

Sam nodded.- Yeah. Sneaked out to smoke a cig.- 

Elijah smirked behind his cigarette. He could really see the dark-haired guy doing so, and he could tell he wasn't a big festival fan either.

Looking towards the festival, he saw Abigail walking towards them again, accompanied by a blue-haired girl.  

Elijah blinked, and recognized her as the girl working at the Stardrop Saloon next to Gus. The short blue hair was unmistakable.

-What’s up?- Sam asked to Abigail, forrowing his brows. 

-Shane is not here.- Abigail said, with a long sigh. She looked over at the blue-haired girl next to her. -He was supposed to be Emily’s partner in the dance.- 

-Shane? Really?- Sam asked, with a surprised tone. -What about that drunk...oomph.- 

Abigail poked Sam's side with her elbow and cut off his last words, warning him with a glare. 

Sam blinked , clearly surprised by Abigail's reaction, but decided to keep his mouth shut and just gulped down some juice from his paper cup.

Abigail's expression softened when she looked over at the girl next to her: Emily was wearing a white dress too, one that was slightly longer than Abigail’s. 

Elijah noticed that the dress was decorated with little sparkling light blue gems on the collar surrounding her neck, a color that really matched her blue eyes and blue hair. 

-Have you tried calling him?- Abigail was asking her.

The girl nodded, with a sad expression on her face. 

-I did. He’s not picking up.- She sighed. -I guess he was not serious when he said he would do me a favor and be my partner in the dance.- 

Elijah listened to the conversation, and couldn’t help but feeling bad for her. He only hoped there wasn't a romantic relationship envolved, or that could be some bad drama. 

Especially for such a small village, where every new rumor could spread in a day.

-I’m sure that’s not the case. Maybe he’s just tired from work and just sleeped in?- Abigail suggested, with a hopeful tone. 

-Maybe- Emily said, tilting her head. She chuckled, looking embarassed. -Oh, well. I was really looking forward to this dance, but... I guess that’s it for me this year.- 

Abigail patted Emily comfortably on the shoulder. 

She turned her gaze around her, and her eyes met Elijah’s. -Wait...-

Suddenly, her eyes widened and a big smile spread on her lips.

-You can ask Elijah! That's perfect!-

-What?- Elijah mumbled, blinking, the cigarette pending from his lips.

-Of course! Elijah, you can dance with Emily. You don’t have a partner, right?- Abigail asked, her eyes lighting up. Emily was looking at him too now, and her eyes looked hopeful.

She was blushing slightly, and looked embarassed. -I know we really don’t know eachother, Elijah, but... maybe we could be dance partners?- 

Elijah was just speechless. He caught the cigarette between his fingers, and opened his mouth without saying anything, then closed it again like a babbling idiot. 

-I... uhh...- he barely managed to mumble, embarassed. 

He looked at Abigail’s hopeful eyes, and at the way she was holding the blue-haired girl protectively. 

When he looked behind the two girls, he could have swore that he caught a glimpse of Mayor Lewis staring at them.

He felt like a cornered animal.

-I... I look like shit?-  he mumbled, with a tense smile. 

Abigail laughed, and elbowed him in the side. -C’mon, big guy, you look nice.- 

-No, really- he mumbled, stumbling in his words. -I’m not really dressed for the occasion. I look like a hobo trucker.-

Emily chuckled. -I think you look good any way, Elijah. But I won’t force you to dance, I know it must be embarassing for you to accept to dance with me suddenly.-  

Her tone was sincere and kind, and Elijah felt his heart sink. Oh, no. 

-No, that’s not what I meant- he sighed, and looked down at his stupid large camo pants and black washed away t-shirt. He looked back at Emily, and how kind her smile was. 

He remembered how sad she looked when she explained Abigail how she basically got dumped by the guy she was supposed to be dancing with, and when he looked at her, he could tell she really put a lot of effort into her dress and decorations. 

She was looking forward to this.

He knew nothing about the Flower Dance, but he could tell it really meant a lot to the villagers, and to Emily.

Oh, fuck it. 

-Alright. Sure.- he said, nodding at Emily. He took a deep breath. -I really don’t know how to dance, though, so please don’t expect anything amazing from me.-  

Emily’s eyes lit up and her smile was as wide as her face. Elijah istantly felt good about himself, but also desolated at the thought of disappointing the girl with his terrible dancing. And boy, that was about to happen.  

-It’s ok, I usually wing the dance moves anyway- Emily said, chuckling. She grabbed his arm enthusiastically. -C’mon, the dance is about to start!- 

Behind them, Sam and Abigail were heading for the middle of the festival as well.

Elijah gulped, noticing how they were now standing in the centre of everybody's attention. Mayor Lewis had a microphone in his hand, and was standing in the middle of the area designated to the dance, the speakers behind him. 

-I see our dancers are finally ready!- he said, and some clapping and cheering followed his voice. 

Oh Yoba. Elijah felt himself sweat, and turned slightly to Emily. 

-I suck at dancing.- he whispered to her. -I’m just saying, I’m already sorry.- 

Emily smiled at him. She didn't look worried at all. 

-We’ll do fine. I’ll guide you- she reassured him. 

-Everybody, take position!- Mayor Lewis announced happily, his voice resonating in the speakers behind them.

The music stopped, and Elijah felt the loud thumping of his heartbeat in his ears. 

The villagers gathered around them, and were looking at them expedentatly. 

Elijah caught a glimpse of Robin in the crowd: the carpenter waved at him with a big smile on her face, and Elijah tried to do his best to return the smile, only managing a weak and nervous attempt at it.

Everybody took position.

Girls on one side, and boys on the opposite one. 

Elijah told himself not to look at the others, but something in him just couldn’t resist: he slightly turned his head to the side, and right beside him, saw a familiar pair of black eyes staring back at him.  

Sebastian raised an eyebrow and gave the slightest smirk, his jet-black hair gently touching his right cheeckbone. Elijah immediately turned his head back to Emily, feeling his heart starting to thump even faster in his heart and his cheeks burning like crazy.

He forced himself to look at the blue-haired girl in front of him, trying to avoid thinking about how Sebastian was standing right next to him.  

When the cheery music started, Elijah could only hope that the black-haired guy would be occupied enough with all the dancing not to stare at him being a complete failure at every dance move. 

He then took a big breath, and moved towards Emily. The dance had started.

Everything was too quick.

Elijah was confused by the amount of dance moves that Emily was able to pull off  consequently, without breaking the rythm of the dance.

It was very different for him, of couse. Elijah had never felt so confused before in his life. 

Between the loud cheery music in his ears, all the people swirling around him and his own feet and body to manage, he was just so grateful that Emily was his dance partner, because she was insanely good at dancing, and especially, at dragging him around and moving him in the right direction.

She took his hand in hers, and with a bright smile, swirled herself around his arm. Elijah smiled nervously at her, thankful that she knew what to do with the dance moves. 

He could only hope he wasn't stomping on her feet too much. 

He didn’t believe for one second that she was, using her own expression, ‘winging it’: she was truly gifted, and her movements felt natural and graceful. 

Elijah observed how her bright blue hair danced around her rosy cheeks, complimenting her sparkling blue eyes. He couldn’t help but smile, observing how much she seemed to be having fun.  

In that moment, he felt happy he accepted Abigail’s proposition, and could give her that dance. 

Emily’s white dress flowed around her with each movement, giving her an eerie look. Between the blue hair, the flowers in her hair and the flowy dress, she looked like a creature of the forest. He didn’t even notice when the dance ended, and he heard a roaring clapping all around them: the villagers cheered and clapped. He heard a couple of whistles, coming from Robin. 

Emily smiled at him, her hand was still in his.  

-You did great!- she said, with a certain enthusiasm that made even him feel good about himself. 

He chuckled nervously.  

-You were great at dragging me around- he whispered to her. -I hope I didn’t destroy your feet.- 

-Only my pinkie- she whispered back. 

When Elijah's mouth oneped in horror, she couldn't help but to laugh.

-I'm kidding, I'm kidding!-

The music continued, and this time, the other villagers started dancing too.

Elijah was really glad that the focus on them was over.

Everybody joined in the middle of the festival, and Elijah saw Robin and what could only presume it was her husband dancing together, laughing and swinging around.  

He moved towards the refreshment table again, followed by Emily, Abigail and Sam. With the corner of his eye, he saw that Sebastian was with them as well.  

-Oh Yoba, I need a cigarette- Elijah mumbled, leaning on the table and grabbing one from the pack in his pocket. 

-All those sweet moves really exausted you, Elijah?- Sam said, smirking and poking him with with his elbow. 

Elijah felt himself burn up. It didn't help that Sebastian was looking at him as well. 

-You didn’t see anything, Sam.- He focused on Emily, that was sipping from a paper cup in front of him. -So, that Shane guy didn’t show up?- he asked, wanting badly to change the subject of the conversation.

The blue haired girl nodded. -I don’t really know why, it's not like him. But maybe Abby is right, he just sleeped in.- 

-Who’s Shane again?- Elijah asked, looking at the girls again, looking for some explanations.

-Uh, short blackish hair, stubble?- described Sam, making gestures. -Works at Joja, with me?- 

-Joja?- Elijah made a sound that could only be described as extremely disgusted. -What the hell? There’s a Joja here?- 

-Yeah, man. You haven’t seen it?- Sam asked, surprised.

-Not really.- Elijah admitted, weirded out. How could Joja reach even the most isolated villages? Yoba, he hated capitalism. 

Pelican Town was starting to losing points: first the jock, and now the brand he used to work for and hated the most in his life, all in the same town. 

If Alicia were there, she would agree that everything was starting to line up as a big conspiracy to traumatize him and bring back the worst memories of his life.

-It’s just east of the village- Sebastian commented. 

-Huh.- Elijah mumbled. He sipped at the apple cider, not knowing what else to say. 

He really didn’t want to turn that conversation in a whole Joja rant, especially remembering how salty he felt towards the company he once used to work for. -Small world.-

-Yeah, Joja kinda sucks- Sam added, stuffing his mouth full of pizza. He shrugged. -But they pay me, so I tolerate them.- 

-Fair enough- Elijah said. Sam basically described a year of his life, just like that.

-I’ll go check on Shane- Emily said. She put down her paper cup on thet table, and smiled at Elijah. -Thank you again for the dance, Elijah. It was very sweet of you.- 

Elijah felt himself blush a little. He did his best to smile back, and brushed a couple of blonde locks away from his face. 

-Hey, no worries. I'm just happy you enjoyed yourself.-

The blue-haired girl then waved and walked away, her floaty white dress disappearing between the crowd. 

Abigail glanced at him with a devilish smile on her lips.

-You what this means, Elijah?- she said, with a glimmer in her eyes. -It’s mashed potato time!- 

-Oh, fuck yeah- he said, grabbing a plate before Abigail could repeat herself. -Everything just comes down to this.-

The mashed potatoes were good. But after all, could mashed potatoes really be bad? You really need be an idiot to mess them up, Elijah thought.

After a while, Abigail joined her mother, and Sam reached for his little brother, that was playing and running around the festival with another dark-haired girl that looked around his age.  

Elijah was left alone at the table, sipping at the cider and eating mashed potatoes.  

Taking a sip from the cup, the gazed over the villagers: they all looked happy, as they danced and talked in the forest clearing, surrounded by the trees and flower decorations. 

He had to admit that the whole setting looked really beautiful and somehow whimsical. Looking at the villagers dancing on the folk music coming from the speakers made him smile, remembering the old times at the county faire, with his sister, his father and his mother.

When mom was still with them, they would often go the the town’s faires and enjoy their time together as a family. 

Later, he would sneak to the beach with his mom and sister and toast marshmallows near the bonfire. His smile turned bitter as he reminisced about those times, painful memories starting to creep in right after the good ones. 

It was all different, when mom was with them. Everything seemed easier, and happier.

Moving to California was a huge change for every signle one of them. Elijah was certain that, at the time, it was a way for his father to move on and try to get his life back together. 

It was almost ironic how Elijah's own life was determined by the places he moved in: his childhood in South Carolina, his teenage and young adult years in California at Zuzu City, and now... Pelican Town. 

When he turned his head to look at the river, he noticed a familiar silhouette: black hair brushed to the side, pale skin, smoke trail rising from a cigarette in hand. 

Sebastian was standing near the river, alone. 

Elijah could only see his back, from where he was standing. 

Something in his head told him to approach the black-haired guy, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he decided to fight his own anxiety and move towards the river. 

He stood next to him, and watched as the black-haired guy slightly turned his gaze to acknowledge his presence.  

For a few seconds, no one said anything, and they just stood next to eachother, the sound of the river and country music surrounding them.

To his surprise, it was Sebastian that started talking. 

-Smooth moves, back there- he said, his voice filled with sarcasm.

Elijah coffed slightly, feeling his cheeks burn up. 

-Thanks.- he just mumbled, wondering why he was even getting so worked up in the first place.

The slightest smile appeared on Sebastian’s lips, but his gaze remained on the river in front of him. Sebastian had opened his black jacket, and underneath, Elijah could see a graphic t-shirt. He smiled at the sight.  

-I hate this stupid dance- Sebastian said, with a monotone tone. He shook his head. -Every year, the same stupid event.- 

Elijah shrugged. -Can’t be helped. Village traditions, right?- 

Sebastian furrowed his brows only slightly. -Idiotic.- 

Silence fell between them again, the folk music around them seemed weirdly distant now.  

Elijah reached for his pocket, and took out two cigarettes. He offered one to the guy standing next to him. Sebastian eyed the offer, and took the cigarette in his fingers.  

-Thanks.- he said, this time looking him in the eyes. Elijah could catch a small glimmer in his dark eyes, just for a second. He felt enthralled by it. -Do you have a lighter?- 

Elijah couldn’t help but smile widely. -Boy, do I.- He reached for his metal lighter in his pocket, and lit both of their cigarettes.  

Sebastian glanced at the lighter in Elijah’s hand.

-Glad to see you didn't lose it again.- he pointed out.

-Hey, I’m holding on to it- Elijah replied, taking a drag from the cigarette. -I can’t expect you to find it every time.- 

Sebastian smiled slightly. Elijah couldn’t help but to feel lucky to provoke such reaction in the guy that rarely even smiled. 

-Does your family force to come to the festival as well?-  Elijah asked. 

The black-haired guy shrugged, bringing the cigarette to his lips.

-Kind of. It’s not like I have something better to do, anyway.- He rolled his eyes. -There’s nothing to do here.- 

-It’s a small town- Elijah agreed. -I don’t mind it, though.- 

-Yeah, because you didn’t spend your whole life here.- Sebastian said, his voice now bitter.

-True- Elijah added, tilting his head. -I come from a similar place, so maybe that’s why I kinda endulge in these little village things.- 

Sebastian was looking at him now, the light of the cigarette illuminating his face slightly with an orange light. 

-I thought you were from the city.- 

-Not originally. I used to live in a small place like this. Very country, festivals and all this stuff.- Elijah took another drag from the cigarette. -I moved to the city when I was eleven.- 

-Same here.- Sebastian said. He waited a few seconds, before adding. -Mom moved here when I was a kid. We used to live up north.-  

He furrowed his eyebrows, and his lips twisted in a sour expression. -She decided to settle in this shithole when she met him.- 

Elijah eyed Sebastian, blinking.  

-Him?- 

Sebastian rolled his eyes. -Demetrius. That guy.- He took a drag from the cigarette, and Elijah noticed his grip seemed firmer. -Step-father.- 

Elijah grimaced. He didn't know what to say, other than: -Ouch.- 

Sebastian’s sour smile was still lingering on his lips. -Yeah. Let’s not talk about that.- 

-Right.- Elijah searched his mind for another topic, and luckily, he found one. -So, what were you doing near the mines?- 

Sebastian blinked, and raised a brow. -What do you mean?- 

-You mentioned you found my lighter near the mine’s entrance- Elijah pointed at the lighter in his hand, he was playing with it with his fingers.

-Oh. That.- Sebastian shrugged. -I just hang out there sometimes. It’s near the house, and a good place to clear my head.- 

Elijah paused for a second, and then asked:- What’s the deal with that mine, anyway? Why is there even a mine here? Was this an old miner town or somethin’?- 

-I have no idea.- Sebastian responded. -But you can hear some sounds coming from there, during the night. Like howls.- 

Elijah raised his eyebrows, smirking. 

-Howls? Are you gonna tell me that the mine is haunted, now?- he asked, with a cocky smile.

-What if it is?- Sebastian smirked back, making eye contact.  

-I’d want to check it out- Elijah responded, and couldn't avoid the slight feeling of his cheeks burning again. He only hoped that his sunglasses were covering enough of his skin.

-Huh. Quite the direct approach- Sebastian commented. He seemed amused. 

Elijah gulped. -Hey, haunted mine in the middle of nowhere? It’s screaming to be explored with a flashlight, at two AM.-  

-What if there is really something down there? How would do deal with it?- 

-I’d bring an axe- Elijah simply responded, shrugging. 

Sebastian scoffed, but he was smiling. -And we all know that ghosts are weak to axes.-  

-Hey, it’s all I have. My axe and my southern scepticism towards the occult.- 

Sebastian brushed a couple of hair away from his cheek.  

-Abigail is into that kind of stuff, you know? She tried to drag me and Sam into helding a seance at the Graveyard, once.- He scoffed. -Sam was freaking out.- 

Elijah laughed softly.  

-Really? I can totally see him being the kind of person that's scared about the occult, though.-  

-Yeah. I don’t personally believe in that kind of stuff.- Sebastian shrugged. -It seems too easy, to explain the unexplainable just by simply saying ‘Oh, it’s ghosts’.- 

-I kinda agree with that.- Elijah added.

-Right.- 

Sebastian's cigarette was finished, and without thinking about it, he threw the rest into the river. Elijah looked at his gesture, and decided he would put the rest of his finished cigarette in his pockets instead.  

Sebastian turned around, and made a gesture at a woman in the distance, that Elijah recognized as Robin. 

-Gotta go.- He said, and turned back at Elijah. His dark hair was framing his right cheeckbone, brushing so slightly over his dark eyes. -Thanks for the cig.- 

-Seemed like a right exchange for my lighter- Elijah said, with a nod. -I’ll see you around, Sebastian.- 

-Yeah.- 

The dark haired guy walked away from him and disappeared in the crowd. 

Elijah could only look at his back as he walked away, wondering again why talking to him managed to get him so worked up every time.

 

 


	6. Spots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galvanized by the success of some crops, Elijah decides to buy more seeds to plant.  
> On the way back home from Pierre's, he receives a surprise visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!!  
> I'm sorry for the long wait on this chapter, I finally had some time to sit down, concentrate, and write this chapter! And also prepare the illustration, even though it's a quick and simple one this time.  
> I have great plans for the next chapters, and I can't wait to write them and let you all read them!  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, and continue enjoying Elijah's story <3 Thank you all for the great support, this community is amazing!

  

Elijah grabbed his bags and moved towards the exit of the little local grocer shop, thanking Pierre while on his way.

He exited the small building and was greeted by a warm sunshine. The weather was nice, and the sun was getting warmer and warmer each day. 

It was almost summer, and Elijah thought how weird it was to really be there, in Pelican Town. 

The vilagge looked peaceful, immersed in all the green surrounding the local homes. 

Not ready to go home yet and wanting to bask in the nice weather a little more, his steps brought him to a nearby bench, located in a green area just in front of the old Town Center. 

He put his bags down, and looked over the rough looking building while his fingers reached for his cigarettes in his pockets. 

The building has always been there, Elijah could trace it back from his young summer days, back then when he was visiting Grandpa with his sister. He remembered always looking at the building over, and making up ghost stories with Ciaran while they were playing in the grass not so far away from the ghastly building. 

Once, it was a Town Center used by the Village to amministrate small town business, as Mayor Lewis once explained to him during the first days of his moving in Pelican Town. 

Elijah remembered the Mayor's sad expression as he looked over at the building. 

Mayor Lewis said that the village didn't have enough money to renovate it and bring it back on business, and that was the reason the old Town Center had remained sadly untouched for all those years, crumbling down into the dust more and more each year. 

It was weird, looking over at an old building that still looked like the old memory of his child days, Elijah thought absently while smoking his cigarette. 

Some things never changed, especially in Pelican Town. Expect for him, taking now his Grandpa's place. 

It was still weird. 

Sleeping in Grandpa's old room, living in his house, curating the land once was his. Elijah had thought a lot about it, and in the beginning, even felt guilty. For what, he didn't even know. 

Willy had helped him so much with this constant thoughts about Grandpa, though. 

He was glad that the old fisherman opened up to him some days before, and he never knew how much he truly needed to talk to someone about Granpa's death, and the responsabilities of the farm. 

Sure, he had his sister, and his friends too, but Elijah always felt reclutant opening up to them too much. He didn't want to be a weight on anyone's shoulders. 

Aside from the point of being in Grandpa's shoes now, Elijah was still amazed about the fact that he was, actually, living in Pelican Town. 

He looked around, gazing at the trees shining in the sun, and the sight of some birds chirping on the stone path not so far away from him. 

That was his home, now. With a smile, he thought about one year ago. 

One year ago seemed like a lifetime, now. 

He was living with Ciaran in Downtown Zuzu City, and despite his sister's company, he remembered the costant feeling of restlessness.

_'This is not the place'_ he would often find himself thinking, and he remembered the long talks on the apartment's balcony, with his sister, smoking until the sun was down. 

'This is not  _my_ place' he would think constantly, looking at Zuzu City's bright lights in the distant hills.

Those memories felt so long gone, now that he was about to live his first summer in Pelican Town. His first summer away from Zuzu City.

It felt surreal. 

He grabbed a new cigarette from the pack, and  looked into his bags, fresh from Pierre's.

A mix of summer seeds, and a couple of flower seeds. His garlic experiment was turning out to be a success, and so he was ready to try more crops. 

The garlic success even burst his confidence so much that he took a risk and bought some flower seeds too.

Just as he was putting his packs of seeds back into the bags, he felt his cellphone vibrating in his pocket. 

Elijah quickly reached for it, and saw the name of his sister on the screen, an old photo of them as the background of the incoming call. 

Ciaran's voice was conforting to hear. 

-Hey, Eli! It's your favourite sister!-

Elijah smiled instantly, feeling his sister's cheerfulness through the phone. 

-How are things going at the farm?-

-It's been pretty alright.- Elijah answered. -Sorry if I haven't called you. I've been pretty busy fixing the place.-

-Don't worry, I figured! How's the house? Is it as bad as dad made it sound like?- 

Elijah chuckled lightly: he remembered how doubtful their dad sounded like when he was describing Grandpa's property, back when the news of Grandpa's was still fresh. 

-It's still kinda cranky, but i'm trying to slowly fix it. The bed was the first issue.- Elijah proceeded to tell her about the bed slates, and how some were already basically broken when he got there. -Thankfully, the local carpenter is pretty good at her job, and fixed it for me.- 

-Local carpenter? Wow. Sounds like Pelican Town has everything!-

Elijah laughed. 

-Yeah, it's just missing a Whole Foods or an In-N-Out.- 

-Boy, imagine that!- Ciaran laughed -I wouldn't be surprised if an In-N-Out would pop in the village at some point, to be honest.-

-Well, you're not too far off.- Elijah responded, istantly raising his eyebrows. -There's a Joja here.-

Without even realizing, he glanced over at the direction of the nearest JojaMart: it was across the river passing by the middle of Pelican Town, and Elijah could see the bright blue roof and hint of an advertising board from there. The sight only made him grimace.

-Are you kidding me? For real?- Ciaran's voice sounded shocked.

Elijah nodded and scoffed. -Yeah, I'm dead serious.-

-That's kinda sad. Is it in the village?- 

-Yeah, it's just like... across the Mayor's house or something. Ruins the whole landscape, to be honest.-

-Well, that's bad and all, but you don't need them anymore.- Ciaran said with a decisive tone. -You've got the farm now. It's your life, and your business.-

Elijah smiled sotfly, as he recognized the protectiveness of his older sister in her tone. 

She knew, of course, of his long and suffered experience with Joja Mart. Elijah had worked for them during the year he spent living with her, an unfortunate year, when he had no idea what to do of his life at the time. 

_ I still don't know what the fuck I'm doing, but at least, I'm not sitting in a cubicle anymore.  _

T hat was an improvement, right?

After a rather long pause, he added: -Yeah, you're right. Even though it's still gonna take a while to turn this place into a business.- He grabbed his bags. -I just bought some seeds, though. And I started growing some garlic near the house.- __

-Garlic? Awesome! We're gonna make garlic bread when I come visit you- Ciaran said with an excited tone. 

-Yeah, maybe I can pick up the recipe. Still has to grow a lot before we can harvest it, though.- Elijah said. -But hey, it's not dead! Yet.- He chuckled nervously.

-I have so much faith in you and your garlic crops- Ciaran said, and Elijah could feel the smile in her tone. -You're doing all of America a service.-

Elijah chuckled. -I'll try to not mess up, then. How's work?-

-It's been good. Me and Manuel have been working a lot, but it's alright. We're finally working on a new project, so there's that.- 

He nodded, finishing his cigarette. Manuel was Ciaran's boyfriend, and he was a photographer like her. They were the very definition of 'power couple': Elijah had the chance to get to know Manuel better during that year he spent living with them in Downtown Zuzu, and he could say without any doubt that together they were a match made in heaven.

-I've actually met with dad yesterday. We went to grab a coffee together.- Elijah couldn't help stiffening a little when his dad was brought into the converstation.

He swallowed, and asked with an uncertain tone. -Is he good?-

-Yeah, he's been doing fine.  A bit lonely, I can tell. Sometimes he calls me for no reason, just to talk.- Ciaran chuckled lightly. -Have you heard from him yet?-

Elijah sighed, and felt a sense of guilt creeping on him. He nervously scratched his knee. -No. Not yet.-

-That's alright, he still has me to bug if he wants to.- Ciaran's tone was light, but Elijah shook his head lightly. 

-No, I should... I should call him.- he murmured with a low tone, sighing again. Just the thought made him tense. -I'll do it when I can.-

-Hey, Eli, it's okay. Really.- Ciaran paused a little. -It's not like it's urgent or something. We all know you've been really focused on the house and the farm, Yoba only knows how much work it is.- 

Elijah nodded slowly. -Yeah. Still. I feel kinda bad not calling him.- He grabbed his face and groaned. -I'll do it tomorrow, I swear.-

Ciaran chuckled. -Ok, big guy. You do you and take your time, alright?-

-Aaalright.- Elijah answered, with the hint of a smile. -And hey, when I'll have more time on my hands, we can catch up. I was planning to visit Kyle and the others one day eventually, we can meet up somewhere.-

-For sure! I'd love to. And when I have one blasted weekend off, I can grab Manuel and come visit the farm! So I can see all the work you've done, and we can do the garlic bread.-

He chuckled. -Got it.-

-I've gotta get back to the photoshoot now. Finished my coffee and talked to my favoutite little brother... which is easy, because I only have one... and I'm ready to go.-

Elijah smiled. -Ok, you have a good photoshoot then. I'll text you.-

-You have a good farming day too! Love you, Eli!-

And just like that, the call ended. Elijah smiled at the screen before putting the phone back in his pocket. He took a deep breath, and thought about how much he missed his sister, and living with her. 

-I really should plan with Kyle and the others- he murmured to himself, thinking about the possibility of going back to Zuzu City to visit. Maybe they could grab a beer and go somewhere? Elijah liked Pelican Town's calm atmosphere, but he was kinda missing the nights out with his friends. 

He brushed a blonde lock of hair away from his forehead, and wondered how his friends were doing.

He missed talking with them about their lives, he also missed hearing about Garret's artistic turmoil over his music, and Alicia's gossiping about her work life and her flatmates. 

He took a mental note to text them that night, and then raised to his feet, grabbing his bags.

He passed in front of Pierre's shop, and waved at the shop owner, that was now beginning to close shop. 

Not so far away from him, right in front of the small Pelican Town Clinic, Elijah caught sight of Mayor Lewis, smoking his pipe and looking rather lost in his thoughts.

-Good evening, Lewis- he greeted him, and he saw the old man's eyes blink for a second in surprise, apparently caught off guard. The old man quickly turned over to him and smiled warmly, pipe in his hand. 

-Elijah! Good evening.- The Mayor glanced at his bags and whistled. -Got some goods from Pierre's? Are you planning something special for tonight?-

-Not really. I just bought some seeds, I've been wanting to start growing some crops in the farm, now that I'm halfway done cleaning the farmland.- Elijah grabbed a sack of seeds and showed them to the Mayor, who nodded entusiastically. -I have some Spice Berry here, and... Sweet Peas, apparently.-

The Mayor patted Elijah on the shoulder, with an excited look  in his eyes. 

-Weel, look at you! Things are really getting exciting, heh?- He winked, and added:- You know you can sell your crops easily here in Pelican Town, right? I personally helped your Grandpa too back then, selling and promoting his farm products. Just be sure to put whatever you want to sell in the container next to your mailbox, and I'll come gather your products every Friday.-

-Oh, wow, is it really so easy?- Elijah asked, blinkin his eyes in surprise. Mayor Lewis let out a hearthy laugh in response, and patted Elijah's shoulder with vigor.

-I don't know about other communities, but it is in Pelican Town! We're all about promoting our local business here, you know. I can't wait to see your crops grow, Elijah.-

-Thank you for the support- Elijah could only smile at the amount of excitement and trust Mayor Lewis was putting in him... again. -I just hope my crops live to the expectation.-

-I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. And, if I can tell you a little secret... Evelyn is really good with flowers. She had the best green thumb in the village.- The Mayor winked. -You could try ask her for some advice for your Sweet Peas.- 

Evelyn... Elijah had an idea who she was, he saw her often around Alex. She lived in the light blue house next to Pierre's.

-Alex's grandmother, sure.- Elijah nodded. -It sounds like a really good idea. I'm not very... experienced, with flowers and plants.- Elijah laughed nervously, remembering the sad old days of the dead basil plant in his and Kyle's campus room. -I'll be sure to ask her when I have the occasion. I can use all the help I can get.-

Mayor Lewis nodded.-There's a lot you can learn from the villagers here, you know. They've been living here for years, and know their ways around a thing or two. Me included... if you ever need some advices in cooking a blueberry pie, that is.- 

Lewis tapped his brown hat and then put his pipe back in his mouth. -I'll leave you to your evening, then. Have a good and productive evening, Elijah.-

And with a nod, he waved goodbye and walked in the opposite direction.

Mayor Lewis was a mistery to him, Elijah thought while walking the path toward the farm.

Sure, the old man was nice to him, and only had good words for him and his Grandpa in particular. He also seemed thrilled at the idea of him starting to grow crops on his farm and sell them, and even helping his production anyway he could.

Still, Elijah couldn't help the weird feeling of uneasiness he always got when he was talking to him: it was a mix of authority and a certain coldness in the Mayor's eyes, that seemed to affect him the most. 

In some ways, Elijah thought that the Mayor kind of reminded him of his father, and that analogy was never good. 

But now he was self projecting too much, and it was getting kind of ridicolous. 

Mayor Lewis was just an old man that happened to be the Mayor of a small town in the middle of nowhere, and probably was just bored out of his mind and just wanted to focus on the new attraction in town...that being him, of course.

Elijah opened the house's wooden door with his elbow and left his bags on the living room table, taking a deep breath. He turned on the lights, and grabbed the new packs of seeds, moving them on the dresser next to the door, so he could remember to plant them the morning after. 

He then heard a knock on the door, and turned his head towards the noise, quickly reaching for the door handle. 

When he opened the door, a familiar smiling face greeted him: it was Marnie, his neighbour at the near Ranch at the edge of Cindersap Forest.

-Good evening, Elijah! I'm sorry for barging in at this hour.- the woman said with a warm smile. -I hope you're not in the middle of dinner.-

-Oh, no, absolutely- Elijah said. To be honest, dinner was not even in his mind at the moment. - How can I help you?-

-Well... I wanted to ask you something, now that you've settled in the house. I have a proposition to make- The brown-haired woman smiled, her eyes kind and bright. She then glanced down and moved her legs a little bit, just to reveal a small figure at her feet : it was a cat, meowing loudly at her and purring. 

Elijah opened his mouth slowly to say something, but could just let out a soft -Oh- as the cat's bright yellow eyes crossed his.

-I found this cat near my farm, some days ago. It's a stray, I'm afraid.- Marnie knelt down and scratched the animal's head lovingly. -I would love to keep him, but I'm afraid I have enough in my hands right now. I was wondering... if you were interested in keeping him?-

Elijah crouched and held a hand towards the cat: the animal sniffed his fingers with interest, and rubbed himself against his hand gingerly.

Elijah scratched the cat's head with his fingers, and watched as the animal approached him without any hint of fear, and instead eased himself between his legs and continued rubbing himself against his feet just like he did with Marnie a couple of seconds before.

-He's a friendly one- Elijah said with a smirk, looking at the cat's unique white patches, that shined against the black of the rest of his fur.

-He is! I can see he already likes you.- Marnie smiled, and looked hopeful. -There's an old saying that cats are always a farmer's best friend. Maybe he could help you at the farm ?-

Elijah scratched the cat's head and looked over at Marnie, and couldn't believe he was seriously considering the offer.

-I mean... I would really love to, but...- Elijah sighed and looked at the cat, that was now meowing lowdly at both Marnie at him, evidently requesting food. 

The words quickly escaped his mouth. 

-I... have a lot of things to do at the farm, and I'm not sure I'm ready for this kind of responsability yet- he humbled, istantly feeling guilty for saying that, but at the same time knowing it was the truth. He loved animals, and he loved Ciaran's cat Popper back then, and the idea of having a pet of his own was exciting and all, but... 

Marnie just nodded knowingly. -I completely understand, Elijah. It's your choice, and I don't want to give you any kind of trouble. I can find someone else to take care of him-

She reached for the cat and called him, and the animal instantly followed her, still interested in some food, as his loud meows were clearly communicating.

She smiled kindly, and for some reason that made Elijah feel even worse.

-I'm sorry for disturbing you, then. I'll head home. Have a good night, and good luck on the farm!- 

He couldn't help feeling his heart sinking a bit, as he nervously smiled and said goodbye back. He looked at the cat, that was rubbing himself between the woman's legs and purring, and sighed. 

He closed his hand into a fist, and tapped his foot nervously against the wooden porch of his home's entrance. He hated the way his feelings were fighting inside him at that moment.

He breathed heavily, and shook his head. 

-Marnie... Wait.-

The brown haired woman turned her head, surprised.

-I'll take him. I'll take care of him- He sighed again, shaking his head. -I'm weak. I love animals.-

Marnie smiled softly at the view, and then looked over at Elijah with her hands on her hips.  She looked worried. 

-Are you really sure you want to keep him? If it's too much, I can ask someone else. Really, you don't have to feel bad about it, dear. An animal is a big responsibility- 

Elijah shook his head, leaning against one of the porch's wooden pillars.  

-I always wanted a cat, to be honest.- Elijah looked over at the black and white spotted cat, that was now licking the plate clean with enthusiasm. -Plus... I could really  use the company at the farm. Maybe he can even help me plant the seeds tomorrow.- 

They both laughed at that, and Marnie added:- I'm not sure about his farming abilities, but I'm pretty sure he could help keep the rats at bay, if you ever have that problem. Truly a farmer's best friend, as they say.- 

Elijah could see the usefulness of having a cat around the farm, but really, all he was thinking about was that he really wanted some company at the farm.

He would have never expected to have an animal of his own so soon, and the thought was both thrilling and kind of threathening at the same time.  

Marnie was quick to reassure him, though. 

-I already took him to the vet to get for a checkup, so he should be alright. And he's as healthy as his appetite, so you won't have to worry an inch about that. I have some dry and wet food over at my house, I can provide you with that no problem.- 

-You're amazing- Elijah simply stated, feeling an immense gratitude for the woman's reliability on this matter. -I can drop by tomorrow morning and get everything. Does he sleep inside the house, or...?- 

Marnie shrugged, looking over at the cat standing at their feet. 

-I'm not sure, dear. He was just sleeping in the barn with my cows until now, so I'm sure he'll just adapt to whatever.- She crouched and patted the cat on the back. -You're kind of a wild one, aren't ya?- She murmured in a sweet voice to the animal, that arched his back following the direction of her pats. 

-Does he have a name?- Elijah asked, looking at the ball of fur at his feet.

Marnie chuckled. -Jas started calling him 'Spots'... but I'm sure you can just give him another name, if you'd prefer.- 

-Spots sounds appropriate.- Elijah commented, kneeling down to pet the cat again. He couldn't help but smile at the name. -Right, Spots?- 

The cat looked over at him with intelligence in his eyes, as he recognized the name. 

Marnie looked at the cat for a couple of seconds, and Elijah noticed she had a satisfied look in her face now.

-I'll leave you two to dinner, then. And Elijah... thank you so much. You're a kind soul.- She said, with a sweet smile. 

Elijah blushed heavily and smiled nervously at the kind words, and couldn't help coughing a little. -It's nothing, really.- 

-If you ever need something, I'm at the farm, and ready to help you, dear- Marnie nodded. -About Spots, or something else concerning animals. Just ask, okay?- 

Elijah smiled and nodded. 

-For sure. Thanks, Marnie.- 

-No, thank  _you_! I'm sure you two will make a great team.- She reached to pat the cat one last time, and then waved goodbye.  

Elijah could only stare at her back getting smaller and smaller as she walked away from his farmland and then started heading towards the Cinderswap Forest passage, and only when he couldn't see her anymore he looked down at Spots, that was now sniffing his shoes. 

-I guess It's you and me now, buddy.- Elijah said, scratching behind the cat's ears, absently. 

The cat purred in response and rubbed his chin against his shoes, and Elijah couldn't help but think that Spots just understood him, somehow.  


	7. The Luau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Luau is here! Elijah decides to join the celebrations, but not everything goes according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe we're at chapter 7? Because I can't.  
> I'm really glad I'm continuing this story, and since I have so many ideas for this fic, I feel like it will continue for a while! c:
> 
> Chapters about social events and festivals are my favourites, there's nothing I can do about it. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter and the illustration c: 
> 
> I also made a Spotify playlist for Supernova, with some hip indie tracks on there that help me focus on the story's direction and mood. I will be using some in the fic, so check it out if you like listening to some music while you read! 
> 
> -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/25HMXfkUcG8mtORnXQUv7g?si=X76TllNmTUug3ZsroIXvbw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> **CHAT: Zuzu City's Meth Addicted Cheerleaders**
> 
> **10.35 EliJEEHAW:**   Yo, check out my garlic 
> 
> Grew it MYSELF 
> 
> *attached pic* 
> 
>  
> 
> **10.35 AliAli:** OMG 
> 
> Congrats 
> 
> You're a dad!!!!!!!!!!!! 
> 
>  
> 
> **10.37 Grt.mp3:** tasty
> 
>  
> 
> **10.37 AliAli:** what r u gonna use it for? garlic bread??????  
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.40 EliJEEHAW:**  Maybe  
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.42 Grt.mp3:** you can also eat it like this 
> 
>  
> 
> **10.42 AliAli:**  garrett no? 
> 
>  
> 
> **10.43 EliJEEHAW:** Really? 
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.45 Grt.mp3** : Yeah like with olive oil and toast 
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.45 AliAli:** YOU DONT EAT GARLIC RAW WTF 
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.48 EliJEEHAW:** Oh cool I didnt know that 
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.50 AliAli:** Eli wtf don't listen to him  
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.50 AliAli:** are u gonna take cooking advice from someone that eats LICORICE ICE CREAM 
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.53 Grt.mp3:** licorice ice cream is the shit and you understand nothing 
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.55 Kyfry:** Oh nice! Good job Eli!!! :)  
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.56 EliJEEHAW:** im so proud of myself  
> 
>   
>  I'd like to thank Yoba for this opportunity 
> 
>   
>    
>  **10.56 AliAli:** I'm really proud of u but pls dont eat it raw  

  
     
Elijah stared at the big piece of glaric in his left hand, and at his phone screen in the other.    
He cut a slice with a knife, backing away from the kitchen counter in an exaggerated and almost comical way to avoid any garlic juices in his eyes, and then took a photo of the piece and sent it to the group chat. 

 

>    
>    
>  **11.01 EliJEEHAW:**
> 
>   
>  *attached pic* 
> 
>   
>   
> **11.01 AliAli:** nO 
> 
>   
>   
> **11.02 Grt.mp3:** try it its good 
> 
>   
>   
> **11.03 EliJEEHAW:** it looks kinda nasty like this tbh 
> 
>   
>   
> **11.03 AliAli** : that's why you COOK IT omg 

 

  

He smelled the slice of garlic and almost choked. The smell was really strong, nothing like the garlic he was used to buy at the grocery store back in the city. You could tell this was the real organic deal by just how strong it tasted. 

He was kinda curious about trying it raw, everyone always said that farm crops were so tasty you could eat them fresh from the ground, right? Did that also apply to garlic? 

Elijah sniffed the garlic again and felt his eyes start to water. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to eat a raw slice of garlic just to try it.  

After all, it was coming from Garrett, the man the legend himself, that once decided to take a shower fully clothed during college to 'wash himself and his clothes at the same time'.  

He put the cellphone back in his pocket and grabbed a couple of bulbs of garlic and put them in a paper bag. He was so proud of his crops: the garlic seeds he planted a week before grew out to be beautiful garlic bulbs, and even if some were bigger and better looking than other less fortunate ones, Elijah was esthatic.  

Luck was indeed on his side for this one: the past week the weather had been warm, favoring the growth of the seeds. He even managed to water them everyday, without forgetting!  

He still needed an alarm on his cellphone to remind him everyday to water the crops, but he was sure that, giving some time, he was bound to memorize the process of watering / taking care of the crops / check the farmland even without any technological help.  

He was even happier because that day, on the eleventh day of Summer, he was going to present his garlic to the Luau.  

He received the letter from Mayor Lewis the day before, describing an important Pelican Town celebration that was all about being and working with other villagers to create a potluck soup. 

The special part of the celebration was, in fact, the act of brewing and cooking all together the big potluck soup, in which everyone was going to bring a different ingredient and contribute to the cauldron with something of their own.  

The last part of the letter was probably the weirdest one, though, and also kinda intimidating:  

  

_'The Governor himself is attending the event, so make sure you're on your best behaviour'_

Elijah furrowed his brows at the thought of that weird last part of the letter. It almost sounded like the Mayor was directing the last words to someone in particular, but Elijah had to idea who it could have been.  

Did someone try to sabotage the event in the past? The thought was kind of ridiculous. Maybe the two kids, Marnie's nephew and Sam's little brother?  

Lewis did sound kind like a control freak sometimes, though, so maybe it was just him being overzealous about this event. After all, the County Governor was going to be there, and even Elijah could get the hint: the Mayor had to make a good impression on him, to show his authority and how well he was managing Pelican Town.  

His cellphone vibrated in his pocket. 

  

 

> **11.28 AliAli:** pls tell me you didnt eat that garlic raw 

 

 

Elijah smirked.  

Luckily for his stomach, and also for Alicia's peace of mind, he needed the garlic for the soup. 

His plan was to contribute to the potluck soup with that. 

He absently wondered if garlic could benefit the soup's taste... garlic tasted good, right? And he was almost sure there were a couple of recipes that used garlic in soups, so maybe it could work also in the potluck soup.  

And after all, it was not like he had something else to take to the Luau as an ingredient.  

He checked the time on his watch: eleven thirty.  

Elijah grabbed his garlic and put his cellphone back in his jeans pocket, along with his house keys.  

He quickly checked himself in the mirror, and the memory of him having to dance in front of the whole village while basically wearing his pajamas made him mentally grimace. 

He really didn't want to pull out a ' _flower dancing in my dad's old kakhi pants and washed out t shirt'_ look again, so he took a couple of minutes to check himself out:  the jeans were decent, and he decided to put on his hawaiian t shirt, for good luck. 

He brushed a couple of hair away from his eyes, and stopped a second to look at his own reflection: his hair was getting longer, brushing his cheekbones and almost reaching his neck. 

His skin was also getting more tan with the passing days spent working at the farm, and he could now see the freckles peeking on his nose and cheeks. They always came out with the sun.  

He absently brushed his fingers on them, like he could somehow just sweep them off his complexion. He avoided looking at his eyes too much, and just slapped on the sunglasses.  

  

    

 

> **11.34 EliJEEHAW:** I'm about to see if this garlic is Mayor approved  
>  I'm bringing it to the festival soup thing    
>    
> 
>   
>  **11.34 AliAli:** GOOD LUCK
> 
>   
>    
>  **11.35 Grt.mp3:** seduce the Mayor with your garlic
> 
>   
>    
>  **11.35 Kyfry:** Make us proud :)

  

  

Elijah closed the door of the wooden house and made his way towards Cindersap Forest.  

He filled Spots' bowl with some dry cat food, and his water bowl. The cat was nowhere to be seen, but Elijah knew he was a free spirit.  

Especially during the day, the cat was always strolling around the farmland and the forest, enjoying his cat business. He usually got to see him the most at dinner and in the evenings, sometimes he relaxed on the porch with him, while he was smoking his after-dinner cigarette.  

The path led him in front of Marnie's Ranch, and he passed by Leah's cabin by the river.  

Still following the path, he arrived in Pelican Town and crossed the small bridge that connected the Town Plaza to the beach.  

He could already see the festival from way afar: the palms were decorated with colored strings and festive decorations, mostly fresh flowers and flowery motifs.  

Planted in the sand, there were some wooden torches decorated with palm leaves in a tropical fashion, that were probably going to provide the lighting for the evening.  

Some weird wooden tribal-looking sculptures were also scattered around, almost as tall as him: he recognized a monkey with a septum ring jewel in his nose and a sword in his hand, and another statue was representing a sort of lizard king warrior holding a spear.  

They looked well manifactured, but the choice of subjects was definitely... unique.  

Four well-served tables, full of different types of food and servings, stood in the middle of the festival. What caught his attention, though, was a big wooden cauldron boiling in the centre of the buffet tables.  

Elijah walked towards the strange object, and with surprise realized it was so big it could probably fit him and another person inside.  

A burning smell was rising up in the air, not unpleasant but definitely strong, and the brown-colored broth cooking inside looked extremely thick. 

Around him and the other villagers, the calm waves were caressing the beach, the sun up in the sky. Luckily, the palm trees were providing some shade around him to escape the heat.  

Elliott's cabin was only a couple of metres away from the buffet tables, and glancing over at the rusty wooden construction, he also caught sight of his inhabitant, the long haired writer he had met a couple of weeks before on that very beach.  

Elijah moved to the buffet tables, looking for something fresh to drink, and found a familiar looking face looking at him across the table. 

-Elijah, hi!- Robin's voice was cheerful as always. She was wearing a checkered shirt with short sleeves, and a pair of rough-looking jeans. Despite the heat, she was still wearing her trusty mountain boots. 

-Hey, Robin-  

Elijah grabbed a dark bottle from the table and looked for a label. Not finding one, he looked quizzically at the carpenter.  

Robin chuckled. -That's Pam's, I think.- She leaned towards him, and whispered:- I wouldn't drink that, if I were you.- 

She instead grabbed a  juice carton and filled his cup. 

-Have some orange juice, this one is pretty good.- She took a sip from her own cup.  -So, how's everything going at the farm? How's the bed?- 

-The bed is awesome. Very comfy.- Elijah replied with a smile. -And stuff is going well at the farm. I actually...- 

He reached for his paper bag and handed it over to Robin, that took it in her hand with a curious look on her face.  

-... Have my first ever crop there. Some garlic.-  He announced, with a hint of pride in his voice.  

-Oh, would you look at this!- Robin took out a bulb of garlic from the paper bag and looked at the vegetable now between her fingers. -This makes for some great garlic steak. Ever tried that?- 

-No, but it sounds good.- 

-I do endulge myself in cooking sometimes...- Robin said, rolling her eyes and chuckling, as she was embarassed to admit that. 

-I remember smelling some great food over in your shop, a couple of times- 

She shook her head with a smile. -Oh no, that's probably Demetrius. He is usually the one cooking dinner, when I'm not making my weird cooking experiments. Actually, you should meet him!- 

Robin turned her head around as to look for someone, and then waved at a figure not so much distant from them. 

-Demetrius!- 

A rather tall and well dressed man with a plate in his hand approached them and gave Robin a kiss on her cheek, turning then towards Elijah. 

-You must be Elijah, the new farmer! I'm Demetrius, it's nice to meet you.- He extended an hand and Elijah quickly shook it. -I'm studying the local plants and animals from my home laboratory.- 

-Oh- Elijah just said. Feeling the necessity to add something to the conversation, he quickly added: -I mean, that's pretty cool.  There must be a lot of things to study here in Pelican Town, right?- 

Despite Elijah's bland responde, Demetrius still managed to sound excited about his own profession. 

-Yes, it's amazing how much flora specimen you can study here. Cindersap Forest has so much to offer, and to think that's it's here at my complete disposal for studying everyday! Amazing. Coming here was really the right choice, not only from a familiar point of view, but also from a professional one.- 

Elijah just nodded and stared blandly at him, and at his light blue long-sleeved shirt that was umbelievably buttoned up until his neck. 

While he made sure to nod and smile in the right moments during the conversation, his mind was going elsewhere, and only one thought was taking place: Demetrius was Sebastian's stepfather.  

He remembered Sebastian mentioning him, when they had the chance to talk a little bit at the Flower Dance Festival, as one of the reasons Robin had decided to move to Pelican Town.  

Sebastian was definitely not thrilled about his mother's decision to live there. 

Elijah looked at Sebastian's step-father: Demetrius didn't look like a bad guy, but he sure as hell sounded pretty boring, and kind of cold and stiff. Like some kind of professor. 

Did he always just launched himself into science conversations with strangers like that, or was he special? 

How was having him as some kind of father figure?  

Just when he was starting to think up an excuse to flee that conversation in a polite way,  

Robin grabbed Demetrius' arm, saying how much she wanted to dance in that moment. 

Elijah couldn't help but think that Robin was trying to save him somehow, and was greatly thankful when she saw her guiding her husband towards the dance area. 

He couldn't help a small sigh of relief. 

The music in the background was coming from a couple of speakers placed near some more weird-looking wooden statues, and it was some kind of funky ukulele tune.  

Elijah wondered if the Mayor was responsible for the hideous music always present at the town festivals. 

He looked around and his eyes fell to the big boiling cauldron at the centre of the festival again: Marnie was pouring something into it, now, while talking to Mayor Lewis. 

Elijah approached the cauldron and took his garlic out of the paper bag. 

-I've brought something for the soup too- he said, eyeing Mayor Lewis -I, uh, hope garlic is okay?- 

-Of course it is! Everything can contribute for the soup!- Mayor Lewis raised an eyebrow with a wary expression, and added with a cold tone:- Everything _edible_ , I mean.- 

Elijah loudly scoffed, unable to contain himself. -Wait, did someone pour some rocks into this or something?- 

Marnie chuckled next to him and Elijah smirked, but when he moved his gaze to look at Mayor Lewis' expression, he could swear he could see annoyance painted on his face. 

The sight was as unexpected as disturbing, and he couldn't help but feel cornered. 

The old man just grabbed the garlic from Elijah's hands and looked it over. 

-Is this the garlic you were growing?- he asked, intrigued.  

-Yeah, I've just harvested it this morning.- 

Mayor Lewis stood in silence for a couple of seconds, with an indecifrable expression, staring at the garlic like he was inspecting some kind of dangerous chemical weapon.  

Elijah gulped, and for a couple of seconds felt like he was being under scrutiny himself.  

-It looks good!- the old man proclamed after a couple of seconds of tension, with a wide smile that stretched his grey moustache. Without other ceremonies, he threw three whole bulbs of garlic into the soup. 

Elijah could just look at the garlic sinking into the soup, and scratch his arm nervously.  

Three whole bulbs of garlic in a soup... was that going to be a good idea? Was he going to poison the whole village, or bury Pelican Town in garlic stink?  

But Mayor Lewis didn't look concerned, and was rubbing his hands together like he had just closed a good deal. 

-Great job, Elijah! I'm glad you decided to contribute to the soup. It's an important act of collaboration between the villagers, that gets consolidated in this very soup, you see. Isn't it beautiful, to create something together?- 

-Oh, yeah, absolutely- was the only thing Elijah could respond with an uncertain smile, still thinking about how some rocks could possibly be boiling into the brownish broth cooking in the cauldron next to him. 

The idea was both hilarious and concerning. 

-I believe the time has come to taste the potluck soup, then!- Lewis cheered, raising his voice to gather the villagers' attention. 

Lewis moved towards one of the buffet tables, where a well-dressed man was sipping from a paper cup. 

He was larger than Lewis, sporting a rather big belly that was seriously challenging the elegant jacket's buttons, and an old-looking bowler hat that looked like it went out of fashion during the eighteenth century. The Governor, for sure. 

Mayor Lewis looked excited, he was gesturing wildly at their surroundings with his hands, pointing to the statues, the decorations, and cauldron where the soup was boiling. 

They both approached the cauldron, and suddenly silence dropped on the festival, the villagers approaching the centre of the festival and getting closer.  

Elijah looked around, the whole village was there and was looking expectantly at the Mayor and the Governor. 

Among the other villagers, Elijah recognized the blonde mohawk belonging to Sam, and next to him Abigail, and Sebastian too, leaning against one of the wooden sculptures, a cigarette between his fingers, the same cold expression as ever.  

Mayor Lewis looked over at the villagers, clasping his hands together.  

-Well, everyone, it's time again for the potluck ceremony! Every day, we work together to create something beautiful in our community. Something just like this potluck soup!- 

He paused and some villagers applauded, even though Elijah was certain he could hear a scoff from the general direction of Sam and Sebastian. He smirked.  

-...And this soup is a beautiful metaphore to sum up the fruits of our labor. Just as everybody helps in our lovely community, every one of you during the Luau brings not only his own ingredient and contribution, but also his love and support for Pelican Town. And of course, what better opportunity to show our Governor how beautiful and productive our valley is?-  

Mayor Lewis turned to the Governor with a bright smile. 

_-Psst! Elijah!-_

Elijah turned his head a hint and saw that Abigail was looking at him with a mischevious smile, and gesturing to him to get closer.  

After making sure Mayor Lewis was occupied enough with the speech, Elijah swiftly moved from his place until he was standing next to Sam, that he could see now was trying really hard not to burst out laughing. 

-What is going on?- Elijah whispered to Abby, lowering his head a bit to close off their height difference.  

-Just you watch- she whispered back with a grin.  

-Governor, would you give us the honor to be the first to taste the soup?- 

-Of course! I've been looking forward to this all year!- the Governor said with a smile and a cheerful tone. 

He grabbed the bowl that Mayor Lewis handed to him, and filled it with a ladle of soup.  

Even from some metres afar, Elijah could clearly see how thick and nasty the soup looked.  

Silence fell between the villagers and the Mayor himself stayed silent, watching vigilantly as the Governor brought the bowl to his lips and took a big sip.  

Everyone stayed silent as the large man seemed to meditate on what he just consumed,  

his tongue licking his lips. 

Then a low hum escaped his lips, and after that the man furrowed his eyebrows and looked closely into the bowl he just took a sip from, as to inspect the liquid further.  

Mayor Lewis looked tense, and was clasping his hands together.  

-And...?- he breathed, looking at the Governor with a mix of anxiousness and expectation.  

But then, the Governor suddenly slipped his fingers inside the bowl, and picked up something the size of a tennis ball, and same color too: it was a big lemon, cut in half. 

He looked at the lemon raising his eyebrows, and Elijah was surprised to see him smile underneath his big moustache.  

After a couple of seconds, he broke up in a powerful laugh that echoed in the silence of the festival. He was still holding the lemon, and now turning to face Mayor Lewis, that was looking petrified.  

-Now, I  thought that the soup had a strong citrusy taste, and I can see now _why_!- he exclaimed with a cheerful tone. His cheeks were flushed a deep red and his chest was still trembling with laughter. 

Mayor Lewis' grimace was visible and his discomfort was clear, but after the Governor reaction, Elijah could see that he was doing his best to force a smile on his face and try to act cool.  

He grabbed the Governor's hand and shook it vigorously a couple of times, letting out a weird and forced laughter, gesturing wildly at the cauldron and the villagers, making eye contact with a few of them, his eyes now thin slits.  

-Of course, of course! Well, then!- The Mayor announced, approaching the cauldron and grabbing some bowls with forced enthusiasm. -Who wants some soup?- 

Elijah watched as multiple villagers started lining up in front of Lewis, grabbing some bowls to get their fill of the potluck soup.  

The Governor was still holding the lemon and looking at it, while shaking his head.  

Elijah heard him mumble to himself:- It's not a bad taste, but just very citrusy...- 

When he turned his head towards Abigail, the girl was masking her grin with her hand and trying very hard not to burst out laughing, her shoulders quickly raising up and down. 

-I can't believe he actually got the whole fucking lemon- Sam whispered, tears of laughter gathering on the corners of his eyes. He shook his head and passed an hand on his face. -Yoba, this was good.- 

Elijah scoffed. -Did you plan this?- 

- _We_ \- Sam corrected him, looking at Abigail with a knowing smile. -Might have been preparing this for the past weeks.- 

-Hey, it was your idea!- Abigail protested, but she was still smiling. -I just provided the lemon- 

-What I _didn't_ plan, though,- Sam added with an amused expression, looking towards the cauldron. -Was that the whole fucking lemon was gonna end up in the Governor's bowl. That's just destiny smiling at us!- 

Elijah smirked. -So, let me get this straight... you just wanted to add a little bit of citrus in the soup, but didn't plan for the actual lemon to end up in his bowl?- 

-Hello no I didn't, man!- Sam laughed. -How could I anticipate something like this?- 

-This is a way better outcome than the one we just planned, though- Abigail snickered, still trying to cover her face with her hands.  

-I agree- Elijah smirked. -And also, I wouldn't know about the soup's taste. Mayor Lewis threw in all of three garlic bulbs I brought him, so you might actually have saved the taste a little bit with your citrus intervention.-  

- _Blech_ \- Abigail stuck out her tongue in disgust. -Honestly, even if Sam and I wouldn't have added the lemon, the potluck soup would have ended up tasting like ass anyway. It always does.- 

-I mean, what do you expect when you just add random ingredients and let all boil in a big ass cauldron all day under the sun- Sebastian mumbled, rolling his eyes. He took a big drag out of the cigarette. -It's a fucking stupid idea to start with.- 

Elijah turned his head towards the cauldron, noticing how Mayor Lewis was still filling up bowls. 

-Stupid idea or not, I'm gonna try it.- he announced and walked towards the cauldron.  

He could just hear Abigail hiss:- Elijah, don't- behind his back, but his mind was set: he was going to try that god awful soup.  

Just after he saw Emily taking her bowl, he lined in front of Mayor Lewis and pulled off his best and brightest smile.  

Mayor Lewis didn't say a word when he filled his bowl, and didn't even notice him. 

Elijah could see that the old man was looking all of the villagers up and down with a predatory look. He knew that there was a traitor amongst their lines, and he was going to find him. 

As for Elijah, he quickly took a sip and returned to Abigail and the others.  

It wasn't awful, but it sure as hell wasn't good either. The soup had a distinctive citrusy taste like the Governor pointed out, and that wasn't particularly unpleasant by itself, it was in fact the way it was mixed together with at least ten other flavors that made it kinda umbearable. 

He could also, indeed, taste a strong hint of garlic in it.  

-How is it?- Sam asked, with a scared expression. His eyes were blinking quickly.  

Elijah shrugged. 

-Kinda shit.- he simply said, and then extended the bowl to him. -Take a sip- 

Sam laughed and backed away like the content of the bowl was toxic to the touch, raising his hands in front of him to protect himself. -Fuck no, man. I'm not going to die tonight on this beach!- 

Abigail leaned over the bowl and carefully sniffed it, making a disgusted expression quickly after.  

- _Eesh_. I'm gonna pass this year, too.- 

Elijah looked at Sebastian, that was looking elsewhere and had a bored expression on his face, the cigarette now almost finished. He took a desperate last drag out of it, before throwing what was left in the sand.  

He didn't look interested in the soup, or in the conversation either. Elijah wondered what really interested him, and what could drag him out of his shell. 

He managed to talk to him a little bit last time at the Flower Dance Festival, and even back then he considered that quick chat a miracle.  

Sebastian always looked distant and unreachable, like he was always detaching from everyone and everything.  

Abigail and Sam seemed rather close friends of his, probably growing up together in a small town brought them together. But even so, there was something distinctivly different about him. 

-You guys have kinda... unique festivities, here at Pelican Town- Elijah smirked, still eyeing his surroundings. His eyes were caught again by the weird wooden statues positioned around the beach.  

-Yeah, it's just old village tradition things- Sam said casually, shrugging. -I think it made sense back then, to make a communal soup and dance in the beach, when nobody had anything better to do and were trying to appease their cruel gods.- 

Abigail raised an eyebrow at him, and Elijah grinned at her 'what the fuck are you talking about' expression.  

-Sure, Sam, the famous historian and occult expert- Abigail said in a mocking tone. -You go on and tell him about Pelican Town's folklore.- 

-Hey, whatever! I don't mind the festivities, they don't make sense to me, but at least I get off work.- Sam replied, chugging down some soda he grabbed from the nearest buffet table.  

-Fair- Elijah agreed. He paused a little, then looked at Sam and asked:- So, how's working for Joja?-  

-The work is shit, not gonna lie. It's boring as hell, and the pay could be better. But.- Sam shrugged again. -It's not like I had a choice. There's nothing else really going on in the Valley, in terms of job offerings.- 

Elijah nodded. That situation reminded him a lot of what drove him too, one year before, to end up working in a cubicle at Joja: desperation.  

After all, if it was difficult for him to find a decent occupation in Zuzu City, he couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been to find a decent employement in an out of reach place like Stardew Valley.  

He grabbed a cup of orange juice and sipped from it, glad to kick away the soup's taste.  

-I used to work for Joja too.- he then admitted, with a crooked smile.  

-No way.- Sam was lookind at him wide-eyed. -Another brother-in-arms, the fell in the hands of multicoporations?- 

-You bet.-  

-Were you stacking shelves in a crappy minimarket too?-  

-I was stuck in a cubicle for twelve hours a day, dude- Elijah replied with a sour smile, behind his paper cup.  

Sam grimaced at that. -Ow. That sucks ass. I mean, stacking shelves is not great either, but at least I can move around and breathe some air.- 

-You know, that's fun you would mention that.- Elijah smirked. -My office was underground, we didn't even have windows. I had only half an hour of break a day, I was going insane.-  

He reached for his shirt pocket and grabbed his cigarette pack. An instinct. 

-That's awful- Abigail commented. -I can't even imagine having to deal with that. I help my dad with the shop sometimes, and even that manages to drive me crazy.- 

-Hey, at least it's your dad you're working for.- Sam replied.  

-That doesn't make it any better- Abigail grunted, with a frustrated expression. -He can be so annoying sometimes. One time he yelled at me for an hour just because I changed the order of some products on the shelves.- 

-We're all in consumism hell- Sam proclamed with a dramatical sigh and wave of his hand, completing the look by grasping his paper cup of soda like it was a glass of fancy wine. 

Elijah looked at Sebastian, that during that whole conversation had not said a word. 

-What about you, Sebastian?- he asked -Any bad work experience stories?- 

When the black-haired guy turned to face him, Elijah felt his throath go dry.  

Was that too bold of him, to try including him in the conversation like that? 

Sebastian's expression remained unchanged, but his shoulders stiffened a little.  

-I once worked a week for a freelance job I wasn't in the end paid for- He lighted himself another cigarette and shriveled. -There's that, I guess.- 

- _Oof_ \- Sam commented. -I remember that one.- 

-That sucks ass. You didn't charge first?- Elijah asked.  

Sebastian shook his head. -I guess I was too naive and thought they might  be decent, serious enough people to pay me in the end.- 

-Happened to me once too, for a freelancer gig. You kinda learn not to trust people too much.- 

-I guess so.- Sebastian replied, avoiding eye contact.  

Elijah gulped. It was clear that Sebastian was not only not willing to contribute to the conversation, but even that his questions had made him quite uncomfortable.   

_'Shit, why did you have to push him to talk? You hate when people do that to you too'_

-Speaking about work, I'm gonna head back home- Sebastian said, cellphone in his hand. 

-Ditching us for work? Not cooool- Sam booed him. Abigail looked sad. 

-Oh... do you have to leave this soon?- she asked. 

-Yep. Work calls.- Sebastian simply said, looking at his cellphone and typing in something. He didn't raise his eyes to meet them, and simply waved lazily in their direction before stepping away from them.  

They looked at him walking away from the festival crowd, and disappearing between the palm trees.  

Sam snorted.  

-And there he goes.-  

Elijah studies Sam's and Abigail's expressions: they looked disappointed, but not surprised by Sebastian's decision to leave.  

As for him, he couldn't help the sinking feeling rising in his chest, while one thought made space in his mind: _did Sebastian leave because of him?_

He gulped down some juice, worried. Did he just ruin everything, and made someone so uncomfortable they _had_ to leave?  

-What's up, Elijah? You look like you'd seen a ghost- Abigail's voice brought him back to reality. 

'Yeah, Sebastian's ghost' he thought. His throath still felt dry and stuck.  

-Well, I, uh- Elijah mumbled -I guess I feel kinda bad I basically made Sebastian leave.- 

-What? No, no- Sam replied, shaking his head. -It's not your fault, Seb is just like that. Don't take his behavior personally- 

Abigail nodded, swinging on her feet. -It's just like Sam says. He's always been like that.- 

Elijah could only respond with a slight nod, still wondering if that was really the case, or if they were just trying to make him feel better and covering for him. 

He could tell Sebastian was someone that didn't particularly like taking part in conversations or talk to people, differently from Sam and Abigail who were so social and laid back, but he couldn't also repress the feeling he was doing something wrong. 

How do you approach someone that is always so distant? Was it wrong that he wanted to approach him and get to know him better?  

He didn't even know why, but he couldn't help it. Even at the Flower Dance, his feet brought him towards Sebastian's direction, at the end of the day. 

Was he just being annoying to him, at this point? 

Oh, Yoba. Elijah grimaced and gulped down more juice. Was he being inappropriate? Maybe Sebastian only wanted to be left the fuck alone, and he was only following him everywhere and making everything worse- 

- _Elijah_ \- Abigail called. 

He blinked, suddenly returning to his senses, and stared at the purple-haired girl. -Y-yeah?- 

-You're in your head, I can tell- she chuckled. She elbowed him with a smile. -Don't think about it too much, it's not your fault he left, okay?- 

-I've known Sebastian basically all my life- Sam announced dramatically, putting an hand on his heart. -And I can assure you that's just the way he is. He likes being alone in his room more than he likes being with people at social events.- 

-Should I... what should I do?- Elijah mumbled, looking at both of them. Words were just escaping his mouth, now. -Should I keep try talking to him or...?- 

Sam shrugged his shoulders, with an uncertain look.  

-Uh... I dunno? Do you like hardcore challenges? Because if so, the answer is yes.- 

Abigail tapped her fingers on her arm, concentrated.  

-I think he's just... reacting to you being new in Town and all. He opens up with us, but we've been friends since we were children, so that's a different story.- Abigail smile was reassuring. -I think he just needs to get accostumed to the idea of you.- 

-Right. Okay- Elijah mumbled too quickly, failing to hide his concern about the situation. 

Abigail poked him on the arm.  

-Don't worry about it. You've got us!- She proclamed, gesturing wildly at herself and Sam with a bright smile. Sam gave him a thumbs up and a grin. 

Elijah couldn't help but smile back, Abigail's and Sam's friendliness always seemed to put him at ease, somehow. He was really grateful for her and Sam's advices, and for the fact that they were friendly with him since the beginning.  

At leats with them, he felt like he didn't fuck up the possibility of a friendship. 

-Thanks, guys. I feel less intimated by Sebastian, now- he said, trying to lighten up the conversation.  

Sam smirked at that.  

-Don't let him bully you, Elijah! You're bigger than him, maybe you can establish dominance by beating him at an arm-wrestling match or something.- 

-He did beat me at pool, that night, so I feel like the roles have been established already- Elijah said, shrugging.  

That was a partial lie, because he... _technically_ let Sebastian win that night, but nobody had to know about that.  

When Elijah traced his thoughts back to that night, he still could find no reason for it. What was he thinking back then?  

Sometimes, his mind just told him to do things, and he simply obliged. But more than often, those impulsive and meaningless instincts had lead to nothing good in the past.  

What was the deal behind letting Sebastian win that night? Feeling like he had control over  

him? Boost his own ego at the thought he could beat someone? 

Impress... _him_? 

He gazed at the sky, that was now turning orange, the few scattered clouds taking a pink tint.  

Behind himself, Abigail and Sam, the festival was drawing to an end. Most of the villagers had already retired to their homes, and the music was getting lower and lower now, mixing itself with the sound of the waves.  

Elijah saw Robin and Demetrius sitting next to eachother on the sand, talking with a woman that Elijah recognized as Sam's mother. The Mayor was still present of course, and looked a little less tense than before, but that didn't stop him from walking around aimlessly to be sure everything was working fine. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket. 

He checked a couple of messages, and his gaze was caught by the time on hid display: six pm. 

-Holy hell- he whispered, raising his eyebrows. -Time sure did fly away today, huh.- 

-You know what they say, when you have fun at Pelican Town's festivals...- chanted Sam with irony. 

After checking his messages, Eljah put the object back in his pockets and grabbed his keys and cigarettes.  

-Well, I'm going too, then.- 

-Aww. Are you pulling a Sebastian on us?- Sam booed.  

Elijah couldn't help but chuckle in response to that comparison. -Hate to do that to you, Sam, but I do have to go feed my cat.- 

Abigail immediately bounced on her feet, her blue eyes open wide. 

-You have a cat?!- she asked, excited.  

-I do, since yesterday- Elijah responded, tilting his head. -Marnie asked me to help her out with a stray, and I just couldn't say no.-  

-You _gotta_ let me see your cat and pet it, one day- Abigail said, clapping her hands together in excitement. 

He smiled. -Sure, you can drop by my farm someday and see him. He usually hangs out at the farm at dinner time.- 

-Hell yeah! I'm counting on that, then!- 

Elijah held his hand to her and Abigail was quick to high-five it with entuxiasm.  

When he turned to face Sam, the blonde guy fist bumped him with no hesitation.  

That simple gesture made him smile and feel a little bit better about himself.  

-I'll see you guys soon.- Elijah said. -Don't be too hard on the Mayor, alright?- He winked at them and walked away from the beach, leaving the festival behind, soft ukulele notes still following him between the palm trees.  

  

  

* * *

 

  

Elijah moved in his bed, phone in his hands, and typed in the chat. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> **00.45 EliJEEHAW:** I have some good news and some bad news
> 
>   
> 
> Good news: Garlic was def Mayor approved 
> 
>   
> 
> Bad news: I think one of the villagers hates me  
> 
>   
> 
> **00.50 AliAli:** WHAT 
> 
>   
> 
> **00.55 EliJEEHAW:** And we also poisoned the soup 

 


	8. Common ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elijah and Abigail visit Sebastian at his place.  
> Of course, it's not Elijah's idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 8! Is! Here!  
> Sorry if this took some time, I think that from now on I'll be releasing one chapter a month. That seems to be the right amount of time for me to be able to write, revision, and also draw the dedicated chapter illustration.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are liking the story so far! I'd love to hear comments and your opinions on the story, and thanks again everyone for the enormous amount of support that you're showing for the art, characters and story!!
> 
> I'm very excited about this chapter, every time I get the opportunity to make Elijah and Sebastian interact it's always a joy! I can't wait to continue the story, Strap yourself in, my dudes, cause this ride has officially BEGUN

 

-Here ya go, Spots.- 

Elijah filled the bowl with the cat food that Marnie kindly provived for him, and watched with a satisfyed smile as the cat proceeded to devour his lunch with passion.  

He patted the cat’s head and watched his tail curl around his hand, clearly showing his content for the food.  

Spots was starting to show up to the farm more, since a week had passed from when he first met the cat and decided to take care of him. 

At first, the cat had kept mostly to himself, only visiting at night and leaving soon after finishing his dinner. Elijah had given the cat his space, thinking that it would have taken at least a month for the animal to warm up to him. 

Instead, he had found out that Spots was as indipendent as affectionate, and was now beginning to show up at his farm more often. It was mostly for lunch and dinner, but more often than before he would stick around to get some belly rubs and scratches.  

Elijah’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and he quickly checked the lockscreen: it was a new message, from Abigail.  

 

  **15.05 Abby: I’m right outside!**

 

He put the phone back into his pocket, and came out on the porch. Approaching his house was the familiar figure of Abigail, her purple hair was shining in the afternoon sunlight. She waved at him with a big smile and Elijah reciprocated the smile warmly.  

-Hey, you made it- he called to her.  

Abigail smiled widely. -It wasn’t that difficult, you know? We live relatively close.- She stopped a couple of metres before him and pointed at her right leg with her finger. -I almost fell down onto my face thanks to a stupid rock on the path... but I’m still alive! And kicking!- 

Elijah looked at her scratched leg and grimaced. -Damn. That’s my fault, the farmland isn’t still cleaned one hundred percent. I’m sorry about that.- 

-No way, it’s just my bad luck! Actually, the farm looks awesome. I remember how devasted it looked before you came here- Abigail put her hands on her hips and looked around with a smile, her eyes glimmering with curiosity. -It’s the first time I get to visit the farm in person, you know. This is pretty cool!- 

Elijah smiled and leaned against one of the porch’s wooden pillars. He reached for a cigarette and lit it. -Yeah? Never been here in the past?- 

-Only have seen it from afar- Abigail walked around the porch, her eyes glimmering when she caught sight of Spots. -Oh,  _Yoba_! Is this your cat??- 

Elijah nodded. -Yup. That’s Spots.- He gestured at the cat. -Spots, this is Abby.- 

-Hello, Spots!- Abigail cheered and instantly got close to the cat, wasting no time starting to pet it. - _Aah_ , you’re so cute! You’re such a good kitty, aren’t you? Does Elijah give you enough food?- 

Elijah snorted. -I assure you, he gets more than enough. It’s almost like he’s never full- 

Abigail crouched next to Spots, rubbing his belly and head with both hands. Spots didn’t seem to mind the attention at all, on the contrary, he was lazily purring and moving his tail against the wooden boards of the porch. -He’s so friendly- Abigail commented, while continuing petting him with a smile on her face. 

-Yeah, he enjoys company- Elijah said, taking a drag of his cigarette. -I didn’t have a problem with him at all. At first I though he was gonna be a little cautious or scared of me, but he’s really used to people.- 

-Where did you say you find him?- 

-Well... he was the one finding me- Elijah smiled, looking at the cat’s content face while he was throughly being petted. -Marnie asked me if I could take care of him, and I said no. But then I said yes. And here we are.- 

Abigail laughed. -Hey, how could you say no to such a pretty cute face like this one?-  

She rubbed Spot’s face, and turned around to face Elijah. -Hey, by the way, if you need someone to cat-sit, I am totally up for it. Whenever you need it, just say so.- 

Elijah raised his eyebrows, interested. -Hey, you mean it?- 

-Of course!- Abigail smiled widely. -I love cats, and I wouldn’t really mind taking care of him if you need some help when you’re away or something- 

-That would be super helpful, actually.- Elijah scratched his head, looking at the cat now lazily laying next to Abigail. -I’m planning to leave for a couple of days in the next weeks, so if you’re up for it, I definitely would appreciate it a lot.- 

Abigail nodded and gave him a thumbs up. -Leave it to me! Just pay me with some cookies or something, and you have my loyalty.- 

Elijah smirked. -Do you like sugar cookies?- 

-Hell yeah!- 

-Great. Cause that’s the only type I can bake.- Abigail laughed and Elijah shook his head, laughing softly with her. -I’ve been trying to get better at cooking, but hey, it’s a headache.- 

-The trick is just start to enjoy doing it- Abigail said, nodding. -Then it won’t be a bother anymore, you’ll actually look forward to it and enjoy the process.- 

-I’m looking foward to be at that point in my life, honestly. Now it’s just miserable.- Elijah chuckled. -I mean, it’s lucky enough I’m the only one having to eat the garbage I cook, for now.- 

He extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray next to him, on the little wooden table right next to the door, and looked at Abigail expectantly. -So, talking about that, where did you learn how to cook?- 

-My mom- Abigail simply responded, shrugging. She sat down next to Spots. -She is passionate about cooking, and we often do it together. It started as like, one of those mother-daughter bonding things... and ended up being really fun to do. I’m not as good as her, but it’s useful and fun too.- 

-Yeah, I bet it is- Elijah looked at Abigail, nodding. -I admire you, honestly. I wish I had the patience to start cooking for real.-  

-Well, moms are an essential part of the whole ‘learning how to cook’ thing, I feel like.- Abigail laughed. -If she didn’t force me into this bonding-time activity at first, I’m not sure I would have never cared about it.-  

-Damn, I feel like I was robbed, then- Elijah scoffed. -All my father could cook was cold Mac ‘N Cheese, and that was until my sister decided she had enough and picked up cooking.- 

Abigail laughed. -Exasperation is a good motive as any to pick up cooking!- 

-Yeah, that’s we’re I’m at.-  

Elijah checked the hour: it was half past three, now.  

He glanced at Abigail.  

-I have to drop by Robin’s place to get something, you want to tag along?- he asked her. 

-Sure!- She raised to her feet and pet Spot’s head one last time before following Elijah out of the porch and began walking next to him towards Pelican Town. -We can drop by Seb’s and say hi too.- 

Elijah let out an hesitant sound that he couldn’t better identify. The memory of Sebastian leaving due to his incessant questions and attempts at socializing at the Luau was still fresh in his mind, and Abigail’s proposition did nothing but bring it back.  

It was pretty inevitable, though, because Sebastian lived with Robin, the person Eljah was relying on for numerous fixing of his house and furniture. The problem of catching Sebastian there hadn’t occurred to him yet, because he knew the guy didn’t exactly wander around the house that often, instead seemed to lurk in his own room all the time.  

At least, Elijah had never caught sight of him during his visits at Robin’s shop. The only times he had seen him, actually... were that one time in his garden when he desperately needed a lighter for his cigarette, and at the two Town festivals.  

Sebastian didn’t really wander around a lot unless he was kinda force to, he thought.  

-He’s probably working, so we better just drop by for a quick ‘hello’- Abigail said casually, kicking a rock on her path, while they were passing by her father’s shop. -He does get pretty pissed if you bother him while he’s programming.- 

-Huh- Elijah murmured. Was that a good idea, to just go to Sebastian’s like that?  Especially if he didn’t like to be bothered while he was working, a reason that seemed fair to Elijah.  

And also, who was him to Sebastian? He was definitely not a friend, so he had no right or reason to just barge in his room to say hi. That could be weird, even weirder than... 

He dragged a hand on his face, fixing his sunglasses.  

 _Ok, Elijah, now you’re_ _being_ _ridiculous_ _._  

He was overthinking this.  

It was just a quick hello and then he would be gone. In and out, just like that.  

-Seb is not checking my messages, so I think he’s deep in whatever he’s doing- Abigail muttered, looking at her cellphone.  

-You don’t think it’s better to leave him alone, if he’s working?- Elijah asked, trying to sound casual, only hoping Abigail couldn’t tell the nervousness in his tone.  

He was so afraid to be a pushover that it was painfully showing in his tone. But he couldnt’ help it: ending up being indescreet with people was one of his worst nightmares, and he couldn’t help to feel like this particular course of action was borderline preying on that particular fear of his. 

But Abigail seemed not bothered by it.  

-It’s just to drop by. I have to get back home and work too, so It won’t be long.- she said, shrugging her shoulders casually.  

Elijah could just nod absently. It didn’t take long before they reached the carpenter’s doorstep. 

They entered Robin’s home, and were welcomed by the red-haired woman’s familiar face and smile. 

-Abby, Elijah! Hi!-  

-Hi, Robin!- Abigail seemed pretty familiar her and her surroundings, Elijah could only imagine how many times the girl had visited the house in all the years she’s been friends with Sebastian. -Is Seb home?- 

-Sure, he’s in his room- Robin replied, with a shrug and a smile, as to suggest that it was the most logical answer to a pretty easy question.  

-I’ll go say hi- Abigail waved and turned her back on them, disappearing quickly down a set of stairs Elijah imagined would lead to Sebastian’s room.  

He turned towards Robin ankwardly, smiling and moving a couple of hair from his face, unsure on what to do with his arms, before adding:- I’m, uh, also here to check on that piece I brought you a couple days ago?- 

-I’m still working on it- Robin reassured him, with a smile –It's gonna take a couple of days still, but It won’t be long.- She stopped a second in thought, then brought out her cellphone. -Why don’t I give you my number? I can call you when the bedstand is ready- 

-Oh, that would be awesome!- 

She nodded with a smile. -It will be more practical for you, so you don’t have to leave the farm every time to ask me stuff. You can just call me whenever you need something fixed.- She laughed softly. -You use your cellphone, contrary to most of Pelican Town’s villagers, so we best put that to use!- 

Elijah registered the carpenter’s number on his cellphone with a nod. 

-That’s pretty helpful, actually. Thanks, Robin.- 

-No problem, dear. You came to say hi to Seb too?- She smiled at him expectantly. 

Elijah smiled ankwardly. -Y-yeah, sure-  

His tone came out more hesitant and squeakier than he wanted.  

-He’s downstairs, probably working at his computer. He does that all day.- She shrugged, and her tone suggested she didn’t understand that habit one hundred percent.  

Elijah nodded and tried his best to sound casual as he thanked her and walked over the staircase.  

After some steps, he was in front of an half opened wooden door, decorated with a couple of stickers. 

He knocked and leaned over the door, uncertain on what to do. 

The voice that answered was Abigail’s, not Sebastian’s.  

-Eli, come in!- 

Elijah opened the door slowly, peeking his head into the room.  

Abigail and Sebastian were across the room, the purple haired girl was peeking over the guy’s shoulder and watching closely a big computer monitor that stood on the desk in front of them. 

In the corner of the room, not so far away from Sebastian’s desk, was a twin bed that looked disheveled, along with a bedstand covered with little knick-knacks, books, and an old digital alarm clock.  

There was also a big table with some chairs in the other corner of the room, and a worn down black couch with some more monitors and what looked like a gaming console right next to it, near the door entrance. What mostly caught Elijah’s attention, though, was the amount of things that were decorating Sebastian’s walls and room. 

Some photographs and multiple colored posters were hanging right next to Sebastian’s desk, and Elijah walked towards them to analyze them more closely.  

Some were polaroid photos, and with a smile Elijah recognized that most of them depicted a slice of life of the trio of friends.  

One showed them together at a concert, one them at a pub, and another one at some kind of field trip. Elijah couldn’t help a little smirk when he noticed how exausted Sebastian looked in the last one, with a rucksack on his back and a map in his hands.  

He moved his gaze to Sebastian, whose eyes were currently focused on the computer screen right in front of him. His fingers were tapping quickly on the keyboard, and he seemed like he was not really paying attention to what Abigail what saying or to their presence in particular.   

-Sorry to barge in like this- Elijah felt compelled to say, apologetically.  

Sebastian raised his gaze to meet his, with expression was slightly confused more than annoyed. 

-It’s ok- he said with little to no emotion. He tapped on the keyboard some more. -I know it was Abigail’s idea anyway.- 

Abigail stook her tongue out at him, crossing her arms. -Dick! I also came to get my flash drive. See, I have a reason!- 

Sebastian nodded at that, and moved one of his arms to the side of the desk, opening some drawers and looking through them with only one hand, his eyes still focused on the screen.  

-It’s this one, right?- he asked her, when he retrieved a small black flash drive.  

Impressive, he didn’t even have to look where he was rummaging. The guy was probably used to blindly look through his drawers and piles of stuff.  

Abigail took the drive and put it back in her pockets. -So, how was the movie? Did you like it?-  

Sebastian nodded, alllowing his attention to detach from the computer for a second. -It was pretty good, but not as great as the first one.- 

-I know, right.- Abigail replied with a smirk. -The first movie in the trilogy is always the best one. But this one had some cool easter eggs and shots.- 

The black haired guy nodded again. -Yeah, I don’t know how they’ll solve the last movie, though. The ending of this one seemed too open for interpretation.- 

-It’s actually not bad, they did a decent job at ending the trilogy- Abigail assured with a confident tone. -I’ll get the last movie too and pass it to you, if you want!- 

Sebastian shrugged. -Sure. Might as well see how it ends.- 

Elijah was sure that the black-haired guy was displaying some excitement in his own way, judging by how he was allowing himself to distract a little bit from the computer screen to talk to Abby.  

It was a pretty weird sight, to notice how his attitude could change depending on who he was talking to.  

It wasn’t easy to understand when Sebastian was participating in the conversation, but Elijah was beginning to notice that he could tell a slight difference, especially when the black haired guy was interacting with his closest friends.  

He also noticed that he seemed to avoid people’s gaze most of the time, aside from when he was interested in the topic or just wanted to glare at someone.  

 _Like_ _it_ _happened_ _with me._  

-I’ll drop by one of these days, then! Oh, are we hanging out this friday at the Saloon?- she asked, making her way towards the door.  

Sebastian stopped typing for a second, thinking. -I think so. I’ll let you know, though.- 

-Ok, I’ll go back to work too then.- She waved at Sebastian and at Elijah soon after. -Bye, Elijah!- 

Elijah opened his mouth as to say something, but Abigail had already walked out the door and stepped on the stairs. When he heard the sound of the house door opening and closing quickly, he knew Abigail had left. 

 _Shit_.  

He looked at Sebastian as to ask him what he should do, but the guy had already shifted his focus back on the computer, typing quickly onto the keyboard and completely ignoring him. 

The screen’s bright white light illuminated his pale face and made his hair shine in the dim light of the basement room. 

Elijah’s head was spinning with hundreds of different ideas on what to do, what to say, if she should leave as quickly as Abigail did, if he should make something up to escape immediately the situation, but incredibly enough, Sebastian’s quiet voice was what interrupted all of it. 

-It’s called Seven Sins- he said, typing on his keyboard, not raising his eyes from the screen. -The movie Abigail was talking about.- 

Elijah turned to face Sebastian, trying to hide the surprise in his face when he saw that the black-haired guy was engaging with him spontaneously. -Right, what is it about?- 

-Hmm. A guy that turns into a weird immortal being, and is figuring his new existence out.- Sebastian scratched his chin absently. -It’s pretty interesting, especially talking about the artistic direction.- 

Now Elijah was interested.  

-That sounds cool to watch, it’s been a while since I’ve watched something decent.- 

-It’s worth a shot. Kinda annoying that they elongated the story in three different movies, but hey, that’s the commercial move everyone is doing right now.- Sebastian shrugged. -If you’re interested in weird, niche movies with a nice art direction, it’s probably worth your time.- 

-Yeah- Elijah smiled. -It sounds pretty good, can I download it somewhere?- 

Sebastian stopped to think for a second, and gazed at Elijah quickly. He nodded soon after, grabbing something on his desk. -Here, I copied it on my computer from Abby’s flash drive.- 

Elijah moved hesitantly towards Sebastian’s desk, the black-haired guy seemed not to mind, and was now sticking a flash drive in his computer’s USB port.  

When he got closer to Sebastian’s work station, he noticed how messy it actually was: the desk's surface was occupied mostly by piles of books such as programming manuals and design guides for different digital programs. Next to Sebastian’s mouse were at least a dozen of different hard disks and flash drives with different labels on them, ‘Work’, ‘Stuff’, ‘Movies’, and one with ‘Rpg manuals’.  

Elijah noticed a full ashtray too, with a pack of cigarettes right next to it, and a cup of coffee still fuming and emanating a pleasant smelll.  

He allowed his eyes to wander on the computer screen too: Sebastian’s screen was split between some kind of forum topic, and a program’s interface. Elijah quickly caught sight of some coding strings, and the familiar interface of a coding program he was familiar with.  

-Working hardcore?- he asked.  

Sebastian raised an eyebrow slightly, slightly confused. He followed Elijah’s gaze on the coding program, then said –Oh- almost with a surprised tone.  

A couple of seconds of silence passend, the black haired guy he copied some files into the flash drive, then added:- Yeah, just working on some stuff.- 

Still some silence, only interrupted by some clicks. Elijah could almost hear Sebastian’s thoughts. 

But he also felt brave. -Is this freelance work you were talking about?- 

-Not exactly, not this one.- Sebastian saved and closed one project from the program. -This is just a project I’m working on during my freetime.- 

-I see some strings. What is it about?- 

Sebastian clicked on a file, that opened a new project. It was showing some bright colored pixel houses, in a 3d-like environment. A character was walking around the buildings, and some texts of dialogue were popping out when he interacted with some objects.  

-A videogame idea I’ve been developing for some months. Just something to distract myself from boring coding work.- Sebastian shrugged, and clicked around the 3d environment, making some animations pop out from the dialogue windows.  

Elijah blinked, surprised. -Oh, shit! This is super cool!- 

He knelt towards the desk, getting closer to the computer and Sebastian. 

-I love pixel-styled games. This is looking great- he smiled at the screen. The character was now beginning his walk cycle around the house again, and Sebastian was moving him to show the pixelated house’s surroundings.  

Sebastian blinked and looked at him hesitantly. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds, then talked again. -You know what I’m talking about- It wasn’t a question, just a very surprised affirmation.  

Elijah couldn’t help but to laugh softly at his amazed reaction. -I’m no programmer, but I’ve dabbled with some coding during my college times.- 

-What did you work on?- Sebastian asked, now turning slightly towards him.  

-Some web programming. Nothing too exciting. I worked on my college’s website once, with a friend.- Elijah shrugged with a smile. -My friend Kyle, though, Is a real programmer. Like, real real.- 

He looked at the screen again and at the colorful pixel environment. 

-He does videogames too, he’s a game designer for a videogame studio.- 

This time, Sebastian’s eyes widened with surprise. -For real?- 

-Yeah, he’s pretty good! He’s working on a new game, now. Should be out in a year, I think.-  

Sebastian nodded, crossing his arms on his chest, looking at Elijah now. His eyes were fully on him, glimmering with interest. -That’s pretty amazing. He’s working in Zuzu City, right?- 

Elijah nodded. -Yep.- 

-I figured. Everything’s there.- Sebastian shrugged. His fingers tapped on the desk. -My ultimate goal is to work in a videogame studio too, when I’ll have good enough stuff to show around.- 

-Zuzu City has a few studios, it’s a good place to start if you’re looking to work in that industry- Elijah suggested. 

Sebastian nodded. -Yeah. That’s the ultimate goal.- He looked at the screen with a shrug. -Right now, it’s just freelance grinding.- 

Elijah smirked. -Yeah, right. I know that feeling.- 

Sebastian looked at him again, this time with his eyebrows furrowed just slightly. -What is exactly that you do, anyway? You mentioned freelance, and coding...- The black haired guy scoffed. -Not to be rude, but if you’re working with graphic design or programming, Pelican Town isn’t exactly a hotspot for that.- 

Elijah chuckled. He leaned on the desk with his elbow. -You don’t say? Though Major Lewis could have an internet cafe equipped with the latest tech ready for use.- 

Sebastian smirked at that.  

-I did a little bit of everything, really- This time, it was Elijah’s turn to shrug. -Some web-designer freelance stuff, some graphic design, aaand... of course, the  _peak_ of my carreer...- 

-… Working for Joja. Yeah.- Sebastian finished his sentence, shaking his head with a smirk. Elijah didn’t know why he noticed the dimples next to Sebastian’s mouth.  

 _So he_ _remembers_ _,_ He  thought , _He_ _actually_ _listens_ _to_ _what_ _I’m_ _talking_ _about_ _._   

Elijah didn’t know why the idea was so comforting to him.  

-And right now, I don’t know, farm stuff?- Elijah snorted at his own affirmation. It sounded as stupid as he thought it would. -That’s a project in progress.- 

-Clearly a jack of all trades- Sebastian said with a slight smile.  

There it was, that same smile he so rarely saw on his face.  

-And a master of none.- Elijah completed his sentence, laughing. Sebastian let out a short breath that almost sounded like a laugh, looking away from him. -Well, that’s what I get for not focusing on anything in particular in my life. But, really...- Elijah continued, pointing at the computer screen, still looking at the game. -This looks damn cool. You should publish it somewhere, when you’re finished.- 

Sebastian nodded, looking at the monitor. He placed his right arm on the desk, while his hand was playing with an usb cord next to him. -Thanks. I plan to, eventually. It’ll be long until I actually have something to show, though. I have to prioritize freelance work, for now.- 

Sebastian rolled his eyes with a small sigh. -My mom already thinks I’m completely waisting my time, so I don’t want to give her one more reason for believing that.- 

Elijah nodded, with a knowing smile. God, he understood that feeling maybe too well. -I get that.- 

He looked at Sebastian again, that was leaning against his chair and fully facing him. He couldn’t help but notice how much more relaxed he looked now, especially when he remembered how uncomfortable he looked back at the Flower Dance and at the Luau.  

He thought about how Robin couldn’t fully understand Sebastian’s occupation and life direction, and how much different were all the people in Pelican Town from him.  

Sure, it was a nice and quiet village, but when he thought about how everything was always the same there, ummoving and determined to resist change, he could see Sebastian’s point. 

Pelican Town was alright, if you wanted a normal and peaceful life in the countryside and were looking for a break from the frenetic routine of the city to settle down with your small children and family. 

But he could see how it wasn’t exactly the right choice for someone younger that dreamed of an artistic career. He wondered how Sebastian must have felt when Robin decided to move in Pelican Town, especially after meeting her husband, Demetrius.  

The whole story felt painfully similar to his own childhood. Or was he just self-projecting into Sebastian’s story?  

-How did you come up with the idea?- he asked the black haired guy, partly because of genuine interest, and partly to avoid getting in his own head too much.  

-Well... it’s kind of silly, honestly- Sebastian scoffed, shaking his head. He tapped his fingers on the keyboard and closed the game to open an image file. Once opened, the image showed a table with some printed character sheets, dices, a big map, and some manuals. -I got inspired by this tabletop game I play with Sam and Abby on Saturday nights. It’s, well...- Sebastian scratched his head ankwardly, clearly trying to think about how he should explain the game to him. 

-Wait, is that Solarion Chronicles?- Elijah asked before Sebastian could finish his thought, recognizing the manual’s title and graphic design in the photo that was being showed to him. He pointed at it.  

Sebastian’s eyes widened again at that, looking at him like he just grew out a third arm. It took him a couple of seconds to gather his thoughts, then looked at him with a stunned expression. -Yeah?  _Wait_ , you play Solarion Chronicles too?- 

-I used to, back in college and high school. I haven’t played in a while, honestly.-  

-I started playing back in highschool too- Sebastian said, with the hint of a smile. -It’s kinda thanks to tabletops and comics that I’ve picked up programming. With Sam and Abby, we’ve been running a campaign for years now, since high school.- Sebastian smirked. -Well, even though I think we need to start a new one, since Sam’s character died horribly.- 

Elijah laughed. -Wait, what happened?- 

-Let’s just say he provoked the wrong NPC- Sebastian shrugged with a smile.  

-Wait...- Elijah studied him, with a smirk. -You’re one of those cruel Dungeon Masters, aren’t you?- 

-Not cruel. Just fair- Sebastian replied, raising his eyebrows and looking back at him judgementally, but still smiling.  

-Man, Solarion. That brings back a lot of memories- Elijah commented with a smile, leaning on the desk. He instantly thought about his clumsy teenage years, and the evenings spent in Kyle’s basement in Zuzu City playing Solarion Chronicles together. Just the thought brought back how much he missed his friends in the city.  

Sebastian nodded and looked like he wanted to say something, but the beeping sound of a notification interrupted him. He turned his head back to the computer, typing something quickly.  

After some seconds, without looking at him, he explained:- Sorry. Work stuff.- 

-Right, about that...- Elijah scratched his head, feeling guilty for being the source of distraction. -I totally just barged in you working, so I’ll leave you to it.- He cracked his back and adjusted his sunglasses a bit on his nose.  

-Yeah. I was kinda supposed to work on this code- Sebastian replied, still typing on the keyboard.  

-Sorry again.- Elijah muttered, embarassed, backing away from the desk and checking the time on his phone.  

 **Fuck**. Half past four? 

How long have they been talking? 

But Sebastian raised his eyes from the monitor a little to look at him, resting his cheek on his right hand.  

When he smiled at him, the dimples hear his mouth came out again.  

-It’s ok, really. Work is so boring I didn’t mind the distraction, to be honest.-  

Elijah let out a nervous chuckle and rubbed his chin, and to his own demise he felt his cheeks burn intensly. 

 _F u c k._  

-Well, maybe I’ll let you know before I disturb you next time, then.- 

Oh Yoba,  _next_ _time_? What was he even saying? He needed to get out of there.  

-Yes, thanks.- Sebastian replied with a smirk. -That would be cool.- 

-Haha, no problem.- Elijah turned around and walked towards the door, still feeling the discomfort of his burning cheeks. Now he was just making a fool of himself. Time to get out. 

He placed a hand on the door and opened it fully, but a voice stopped him just in time. 

-Hey, city boy?- Sebastian held a flash drive in his hand, his eyebrows raised. -You’re forgetting something.- 

With a swift motion, he hurled the drive to him, and Elijah just managed to catch it in his hand, his eyes blinking.  

Oh. The movie.  

Elijah had completely forgotten about the movie. 

Honestly, everything before the past hour was just gone. 

-Oh, yeah, thanks- he managed to mutter back.  

Sebastian gave him a nod with his head from his work station, and Elijah knew he had been officially dismissed.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

When he stepped out of Robin’s house, he took a deep breath.  

He felt a fresh gust of air in his face, pleasantly passing through his hair and shirt. He passed a hand between his blonde locks, and noticed that his cheeks were still burning.  

Then, a vibration in his pocket.  

He checked his cellphone. 

 

 

 

> **16\. 34 Kyfry: So are you coming back in town this weekend?**

 

Elijah smiled, his heart was thumping loudly in his chest.  

 

 

 

> **16\. 35 EliJEEHAW: You bet**

 

 

 

> **@Zuzu City’s Meth Addicted Cheerleaders, assemble!**

 

 


End file.
